Demons
by rainshadow22142
Summary: She was the first child to be taken in by the Justice League. Batman, to be more specific. She keeps her dark past under lock and key, but despite her demons, she bonds with the Team, and finds a family she never imagined she could have. BEING REWRITTEN.
1. Independence Day

**Disclaimer: I own nothing you recognize.**

* * *

 **Washington, D.C.**

 **July 4, 1400 EDT**

She was standing in the middle of the star that extended into the middle of the peaceful water in front of the Hall. She wasn't looking forward to meeting the sidekicks formally, but Batman had persuaded her, and she never said no to Batman; well, hardly ever. She had done her homework, and knew the boys almost as well as they knew themselves. She knew she was the only female, and that they wouldn't take her seriously. Not only was she the only female, but she was also quite small compared to the boys, standing at five foot, three inches, which was barely taller than Robin, who was the shortest of the four boys. She sighed and waited for them to arrive.

Batman and Robin were the first to show up, then Green Arrow and Speedy, with Aquaman and Aqualad following closely behind. Now they just needed to wait for the speedsters, and she snorted at the irony.

She watched as the six stood in line, facing the Hall. She watched Batman place a hand on Robin's shoulder, and watched him mouth, "Today is the day."

"Welcome to the Hall of Justice," Green Arrow introduced.

"Headquarters of the Justice League," Aquaman added. She scoffed. Was that what the League was telling these kids? These poor, naïve kids?

From behind the sextet, Flash and Kid Flash finally arrived.

"Aw, man!" Kid Flash exclaimed. Everyone turned around as Flash and Kid Flash appeared. "I knew we'd be the last ones here," he scowled, crossing his arms.

"Welcome back, _gospodje_." She finally made herself known. Everyone turned to see a young woman—most would argue _girl_ —standing in the middle of the water. Using the bronze triangular pieces jutting from the center of the star, she vaulted herself over the water and landed lightly in front of them.

"I'd like to introduce you to Lilith," Batman said, stepping forward and placing a hand on the girl's shoulder. "I've been training her since she was ten."

"She is the one that inspired us to reach out to gifted youngsters, such as yourselves," Aquaman included.

"It is an honor to meet you," Aqualad said, as proper as ever.

"She's our age," Speedy snapped impatiently, not looing impressed. "What's there to honor?"

"She has been fighting with members of the Justice League longer than we have," Aqualad said evenly. "That is plenty to honor."

"Whatever," Speedy grumbled.

"Hi," Robin said shortly, not looking at her. He was used to being able to brag, "Yeah, Batman's trained me personally." Now, all he had to his name was "Yeah, I've been fighting for four years," and he had a feeling that compared to this girl, that was nothing.

"Don't mind him," Kid Flash said stepping in front of her with a bright smile. "He's just jealous he wasn't the first one to get taken under Bats' wing like he thought," he whispered from behind his hand, glancing at Robin behind him.

"Shut up," Robin mumbled, glaring pointedly at his boots.

"Now that introductions are over," Green Arrow said briskly, "let's take you inside."

* * *

They walked down the path roped off from the clamoring people.

"Is that Batman?" one man asked.

"I see Flash and Flash Jr.!" a woman exclaimed.

"His name's Speedy!" another man put in. "Duh!"

"No, Speedy's Green Arrow's sidekick!" someone else interjected.

"Well, that makes no sense."

"Ready to see the inner sanctum?" Green Arrow asked Speedy, ignoring the loud voices around them.

"Born that way," Speedy responded with a proud smirk.

"I am glad we are all here," Aqualad said, looking around at his fellow sidekicks.

"Have all four sidekicks ever been in the same place at the same time?" Kid Flash asked, excitement evident in his tone.

" _Don't_ call us sidekicks," Speedy said sharply. "Not after today.

"Sorry," Kid Flash said sheepishly. "First time at the Hall," he explained. "I'm a little overwhelmed."

Robin turned to Kid Flash. "You're overwhelmed, Freeze was underwhelmed. Why isn't anyone ever just _whelmed?_ " he asked, sounding exasperated.

"Doesn't work like that, kid," Lilith said from her place at the front, not turning around.

"Don't call me 'kid!'" Robin exclaimed angrily as Kid Flash said flirtatiously, "You called?" Lilith ignored their words.

"Do you even know what 'whelm' means?" she asked, glancing back at Robin and raising an eyebrow. Robin ignored her and Lilith rolled her eyes.

Everyone went silent as they entered the Hall, the feeling of being in a museum washing over them. Standing imperiously over them were massive statues of the original seven members of the Justice League.

"Oh," Robin said softly, looking up at the statues with wide eyes. "Maybe that's why."

They reached the doors marked _Authorized Personnel Only_ , and it opened to reveal the Martian Manhunter and the Red Tornado.

Manhunter stepped forward. "Lilith, welcome back. Robin, Speedy, Aqualad, Kid Flash, welcome," he said in his deep, even tone. He turned and everyone followed, Robin and Kid Flash bumping fists as they did. Behind them, the door closed with a hiss. "You now have unlimited access to the gym, our fully-stocked galley, and of course, our library," Manhunter said as they entered the library, which was only impressive if one was looking for books talking about the flora and fauna of a distant planet or the exact scientific reason zeta-beaming worked.

"Make yourselves at home," Flash said, opening his arms. Immediately, Robin and Kid Flash flopped into chairs and Aqualad gracefully sat, leaving Speedy standing. Lilith followed the League members.

"Quick debrief to discuss the coincidence of four ice villains attacking on the same day," Batman said in a low voice. The League members gathered around him, Lilith included. "We shouldn't be long," he said, turning to the others.

Batman turned and glanced at the ceiling, where a hole opened up and a scanner dropped down, which named the League members one at a time.

"Lilith, I want you to stay here," Batman said once he had been scanned.

"What?" Lilith said. "Why?"

"They need someone to stay behind," he said quietly.

"You're asking me to babysit them?" Lilith asked indigently, crossing her arms and narrowing her eyes. She was met with no response. Lilith gave a disbelieving snort and stalked to the back of the group.

Once everyone was scanned, the door marked _Justice League Members Only_ slid open.

"That's it?" Speedy demanded, glaring at the League members. Everyone turned to him. "You promised us a real look inside, not a glorified backstage pass."

"It's a first step," Aquaman reasoned. "You've been granted access few others get."

"Oh, really?" Speedy asked sarcastically, throwing his arm up to gesture of the viewing room above them, which hosted a number of people and flashing lights. "Who cares what side of the glass we're on?"

"Roy, you just need to be patient," Green Arrow said, stepping forward.

"What I _need_ is respect," Speedy said, glaring at his mentor. He turned to the others. "They're treating us like kids." He paused. "Worse. Like _sidekicks!_ " He spat the word like it left a bad taste in his mouth. "We deserve better than this."

Kid Flash, Robin, and Aqualad glanced at each other and then turned back to Speedy. Speedy's eyes widened at the realization.

"You're kidding, right?" he asked. "You're playing their game? Why?" Disbelief colored his tone. "Today was supposed to be _the_ day, step one in becoming full-fledged members of the League."

"Well, sure," Kid Flash said slowly, "but I thought step one was the tour of the HQ."

"Except the Hall isn't the League's real HQ!" Speedy declared. Lilith smirked; at least one of them figured it out.

Around him, everyone widened their eyes; the League members because they thought no one knew this, and the Juniors because they _didn't_ know this.

"I bet they never told you it's just a false front for tourists and a pit stop for catching zeta-beam teleport tubes to the real thing: an orbiting satellite called the Watchtower," Speedy continued, paying no heed to the surprise around the room.

Green Arrow turned to Batman, who crossed his arms and narrowed his eyes slightly.

"I know, I know," Green Arrow said, shrugging, "but I thought maybe we could make an exception?"

Batman's eyes grew smaller and the small, helpless kind of smile that had started to form on Green Arrow's face fell. "Or not," he muttered.

"You're not helping your cause here, son," Aquaman said, stepping forward. "Stand down or—"

"Or what?" Speedy demanded, glaring at Aquaman. "You'll send me to my room? And I'm not your son!" he yelled. "I'm not even his," he added in a quieter tone, turning to Green Arrow. "I thought I was his partner," he said, his voice softening further. "But not anymore." He took his hat and threw it on the ground. Robin, Kid Flash, and Aqualad sat forward in their chairs, their eyes wide.

Speedy straightened his shoulders and walked toward the exit. "Guess they're right about you three," he said as he passed them. "You're _not_ ready."

Speedy's dramatic exit was ruined when an alarm started beeping and Superman's picture appeared on the big screen.

"Superman to Justice League," he said. "There's been an explosion at Project Cadmus. It's on fire."

The League members gathered around the electronics under the screen, and Lilith inched closer.

"I've had my suspicions about Cadmus," Batman said. "This may present the perfect opportunity to in—"

Before he could finish, another voice interrupted, sounding urgent. "Zatara to Justice League! The sorcerer Wotan is using the Amulet of Attan to blot out the sun! Requesting full League response."

"Superman?" Batman asked, glancing at the Man of Steel.

"It's a small fire," he said. "Local authorities have it under control."

"Then Cadmus can wait," Batman said, though he sounded rather annoyed. He pressed a button on the panel and said, "All Leaguers rendezvous at Zatara's coordinates. Batman out."

Robin, Kid Flash, Aqualad, and Lilith stood behind the League members.

"Stay put," Batman told Robin as the others filed to be transported. "That includes you, Lilith."

Lilith's eyes flashed and she exclaimed "What?" just as Robin said, "What? Why?"

"This is a League mission," Aquaman said, standing to Batman's right.

"And you've never dealt with magic, Lilith," Batman said when Lilith opened her mouth to declare that she was, technically, an honorary League member.

"There's no time like the present," she snapped, placing her hands on her hips and glaring at Batman.

"You're not trained," Flash put in, pretending not to have heard Lilith; she growled at that but didn't say anything else.

"Since when?" Kid Flash demanded.

"I meant," Flash said, trying to back himself out of the hole he dug, "you're not trained to work as part of _this_ team."

"There will be other mission," Aquaman assured, "when you're ready."

"But for now," Batman said in his _this-is-final_ voice, " _stay put_."

"Glad you didn't bring You-Know-Who?" Lilith heard Green Arrow asked Manhunter quietly.

"Indeed," Manhunter replied softly.

The Leaguers walked through the open door, and Red Tornado went through last. He paused a moment, looking at them, before turning away and letting the doors close.

Kid Flash scoffed. "When we're ready? How are we ever supposed to be ready when they treat us like…like sidekicks?!" He threw his arms in the air in annoyance.

Aqualad looked conflicted. "My mentor, my king," he sighed. "I thought he trusted me."

"Trust?" Kid Flash said. "They don't even trust us with the basics! They've got a secret HQ in space!" He turned to glare at Lilith. "Which I suppose you knew about," he accused.

" _Bien sûr,_ " Lilith said, though she didn't sound like she was gloating. "It was my home for a while."

"Was?" Robin caught, but Lilith didn't answer; she seemed caught in the past.

"What else aren't they telling us?" Aqualad asked softly.

"I have better question," Robin sighed. "Why didn't we leave with Speedy?" Kid Flash and Aqualad seemed to consider that question before Lilith sighed and stepped forward.

"While the cat's away, the mice will play," she prompted.

"What?" Robin asked.

"What is Project Cadmus?" Aqualad asked slowly, catching on.

"Don't know," Robin said slowly. "But, I can find out," he added with a confident smirk

He turned to the computer and saw that Lilith was already clacking away at the keys.

"Access denied," came the automated voice.

" _Sakra_. They must have taken me off," Lilith mumbled. "That was fast."

"Heh," Robin cackled. "Wanna bet?" He stepped forward and began clicking at the keys. Soon, they were through.

"Whoa," Kid Flash said. "How are you doing that?" he asked in awe.

"Same system as the Batcave," Robin replied, sounding proud of himself. He heard Lilith smack her forehead and say, "Duh! Idiot…" but when he glanced back at her, her face was impassive.

"Access granted," the voice said.

"All right. Project Cadmus," Robin said. "Genetics lab here in D.C." He turned to the others. "That's all there is. But—"

"If Batman's suspicious, maybe we should investigate," Lilith finished, sounding deep in thought.

"Solve their case before they do," Aqualad voiced. "It would be poetic justice," he reasoned.

"Hey," Robin said with a small laugh. "They're all about justice."

"But they said stay put," Aqualad sighed, looking conflicted.

"For the blotting out the sun mission," Robin wheedled. "Not this."

"Wait," Kid Flash said. "Are you going to Cadmus?"

"Not so fast up there, are you," Lilith said, raising her eyebrow but the corner of her lip quirked up.

Kid Flash glanced at her and winked before turning back to Robin and saying, "Because if you're going, I'm going."

Both turned to Aqualad and Lilith, their lips pulled away from their teeth in a _come-on-it'll-be-great_ grin.

"I'll go if you promise never to make your faces like that again," Lilith said flatly, back to her aloof, impassive self.

Aqualad hesitated. "Just like that, we're a team on a mission?"

"Come on!" Kid Flash said, a real grin spreading across his face. "If Miss No-Smiles can agree to join us, then you can too!"

"We didn't come for a playdate," Robin said, determination evident in his voice.

Aqualad bowed his head slightly. His eyes narrowed and the corner of his lip pulled up, and he was in.

* * *

When they arrived, the firefighters were already combating the fire.

"Help!"

"Get us down!"

Two scientists were trapped upstairs, but the chief said, "Stay put. We will get you out," not sounding very concerned over the safety of the men.

Before the scientists could respond, there was an explosion behind them, causing the men to fall from the second story. Kid Flash appeared and ran up the wall and managed to grab them and place them on the roof before he lost his footing.

Below him, the chief exclaimed, "It's what's-his-name…Flash Boy!"

Even in his state of mortal danger, Kid Flash yelled, "Kid Flash!" He shook his head. "Why is that so hard?" he grumbled.

Robin, Aqualad, and Lilith came running up, and for a moment they observed Kid Flash hanging from the window.

"So-o smooth," Robin said, a laugh evident in his tone.

"Does he always have to run ahead?" Aqualad said, frowning. "We need a plan. We—Robin?" Glancing around, Lilith saw that Robin had vanished. From above, his telling laugh echoed, and Aqualad and Lilith turned to see Robin lithely making his way toward Kid Flash.

With the grace of an acrobat, Robin landed on the window sill Kid Flash desperately hung onto and pulled him up and inside.

Below, Aqualad ran towards the men with the hose while Lilith made her way up to the room she had seen Kid Flash and Robin disappear, following the path Robin had made. Once she was in the room, she glanced down and watched Aqualad as he created a whirlpool to reach the scientists at the top of the building. He perched on the window sill in front of Lilith and set the men on the ground.

"Appreciate the help," he said with a glare at the other three as he landed in the room. Kid Flash was riffling through the drawers, and Lilith had joined Robin at the computer.

"You handled it," Robin said, glancing back. "Besides," he added, turning back to the computer, "we're here to investigate. Poetic justice, remember?" Lilith glanced up and saw Aqualad walk out the door and down the hall. Looking at the work Robin was doing, she straightened and followed Aqualad out.

"There was something in the—" Aqualad said just as the others joined him.

"Elevators should be locked down," Kid Flash said.

Robin pushed past them and went to stand in front of the elevator. "This is wrong," he said. He tapped his wrist, and his miniature computer activated. A holographic screen appeared, and Robin said, "Thought so," once he had finished his scans.

"This is a high-speed express elevator," Lilith interrupted, sounding shocked. Robin snapped his gaze to her and found that she was peering over his shoulder, looking at the hologram.

"It doesn't belong in a two-story building," Robin said, taking control of the conversation again; Lilith just rolled her eyes. Kid Flash and Aqualad glanced back and forth between Robin and Lilith; there was definitely going to be some conflict in their future.

"Neither does what I saw," Aqualad said, bringing the group back to focus. He stepped forward and pried open the elevator doors with a grunt.

Aqualad glanced down and his eyes widened when he saw how deep the elevator shaft went.

Robin knelt at the edge. "And that's why they need an express elevator." He stood and shot a grapple to the ceiling and proceeded to rappel himself downward. Lilith pulled out one of her guns from her utility belt and shot at the ceiling and followed after Robin. Aqualad and Kid Flash, left with no other way down, each grabbed a line and slid down.

At Sub-Level 26, Robin called, "I'm at the end of my rope."

Lilith stopped her decent; she still had a ways to go. However, before she could say so, Robin swung himself so he was perched on the ledge rimming the wall, and Aqualad, who had jumped on his cable, followed suit.

Robin tapped his wrist and the screen appeared again. "Bypassing security…" he said as he tapped away at the tiny holographic keyboard.

"Please, never make that face," Lilith muttered, glancing over his shoulder and indicating to the five faces of Robin scowling somewhat grotesquely back at them.

"What's wrong with my face?" Robin grumbled.

"Nothing," Lilith said. "As long as you don't make _that_ face."

"Whatever," Robin said with a huff. "There!" he exclaimed once all five faces were green. "Go!"

"Or that one!" Lilith added, wrinkling her nose.

"Enough," Aqualad said, and he pried open the doors. All four of them stepped onto the floor.

"Welcome to Project Cadmus," Robin said, sounding almost in awe.

Before any of them could get a good look around, Kid Flash took off.

"Kid, wait!" Aqualad called after him. Kid Flash skidded to a stop when he came to the T in the road, and a second later, Lilith saw why.

Giant creatures marched along, their footsteps shaking the ground. Lilith gasped and clutched her forehead, almost falling to her knees.

"What is it?" Aqualad asked in concern.

"Nothing, I'm fine," Lilith grunted, straightening and rubbing her forehead; she was still wincing.

Aqualad, Robin, and Lilith approached the intersection, and Kid Flash crossed the path to join them. They stood before the creatures—which resembled a hybrid of an elephant and a gorilla but with strange markings—in plain sight, but the animals seemed to not care about their presence.

One looked over at them and roared, and Lilith noticed a little creature perched on its back, between its shoulder blades. Its little devil horns glowed red, but nothing seemed to change.

"No," Aqualad said sarcastically. "Nothing odd going on here." Lilith watched the strange parade stomp past, until they finally disappeared down the hall.

Aqualad, Lilith, Robin, and Kid Flash reached the end of the hall, and Robin proceeded to hack the controls keeping the massive automated door shut.

"Okay," he said as it slid open and he got his first view of what lay beyond the doors, "I'm officially whelmed."

Stacked to the ceiling were tubes full of what looked like bioluminescent creatures. Lilith let out a soft "Oh!" before falling silent again and ignoring her teammates' glances.

"This is how they hide this massive underground facility from the world," Kid Flash said in awe as they started to venture further into the room. "The real Cadmus isn't on the grid. It generates its own power with these…things," he said. On closer inspection, Lilith saw he was right. The top and bottom of each tube was metal, and an electrical spark kept arcing off the insect-like creatures and those beams were attracted to the top of the tube.

"Must be what they're bred for," Lilith said, turning slowly on the spot.

"Ah, someone who speaks my language," Kid Flash said, looking at Lilith with a lazy grin. "There's nothin' hotter than that!" he proclaimed. Lilith just sighed but a small smile tugged on her lips.

"Even the name is a clue," Aqualad put in. "The Cadmus of myth created a new race by sowing dragons' teeth into the earth."

"And this Cadmus creates new life, too," Lilith hypothesized, still gazing around the room.

"Let's find out why," Robin said, and he walked to a small computer and connected himself to it. "They call them Genomorphs," he said once he was tapped in. "Whoa!" he exclaimed. "Look at the stats on these things—super strength, telepathy, razor claws. These are living weapons!"

"They're engineering an army," Kid Flash concluded grimly. "But for who?"

"Wait, there's something else," Lilith said, stepping behind Robin and peering over his left shoulder. She reached around him and tapped something on the holographic screen. As she did, she inched closer to him and Robin could smell her soap—something light and crisp. He fought to keep his attention on the screen as she scrolled through the data and not on the warmth he could feel rolling off her body.

"Project Kr," Robin read aloud once he found his voice. Aqualad and Kid Flash moved closer as well so they could read the screen. "Ugh, the file's triple-encrypted. I can't—"

Lilith had just reached around Robin to gain access to the keyboard when a voice commanded, "Don't move!" Lilith whipped around and saw a man, along with five small grey creatures, coming toward them. "Wait," the man said, coming to a stop. "Lilith? Robin, Aqualad, Kid Flash?"

"At least he got your name right," Robin snickered, turning his attention back to the computer just as Lilith gasped and fell to her knees again. "Lilith," Robin said, sounding alarmed.

"Nothing!" Lilith said, though her voice was strained. "Focus on that encryption!"

"I know you," Aqualad said, trying to find the name. "Guardian," he said finally. "A hero."

"I do my best," Guardian said, and Lilith couldn't tell if he was being modest or if he was gloating.

"Then what are you doing here?" Kid Flash demanded.

"I'm chief of security," Guardian informed them. "You're trespassing, but we can call the Justice League, figure this out."

"You think the League's gonna approve of you breeding weapons?" Kid Flash said angrily.

"Weapons?" Guardian asked, sounding genuinely confused. "What are you—" The thing perched on his shoulder turned its head to face him and its little horns glowed. Lilith grunted and winced. "What have I—Ugh." Guardian shook his head as if to clear it. "My head," he muttered. He looked up and the creature's horns stopped glowing. "Take them down, hard!" Guardian suddenly ordered. "No mercy!" Immediately, the creatures at his side sprung toward Lilith and the others.

Robin jumped in front of Kid Flash, Lilith, and Aqualad—who had taken up fighting stances—and threw down one of his toys. A thick fog erupted form the broken casing. Using the cover, Robin shot a grapple to a beam above their heads. Lilith leapt into action.

Alarms started blaring and together, Lilith, Kid Flash, and Aqualad ran down the hallway. Lilith saw an elevator and Robin, who was already hooked up to the elevator controls. Kid Flash hurried over to him while Aqualad and Lilith turned around to gage their pursuers.

"Way to be a team player, Rob!" Lilith heard Kid Flash exclaim angrily.

"Weren't you right behind me?" Robin asked, glancing up from his controls and his eyebrows pinched together in confusion. The elevator doors slid open just then, and Kid Flash and Robin immediately entered. They turned and saw Lilith and Aqualad dashing down the hall, the creatures hot on their heels. Aqualad ducked into a forward roll and popped to his feet. Lilith turned and fired a few rounds, blocking the path with dark smoke. As the first creature parted the smoke, Lilith launched herself in the air and did a graceful backflip, landing soundly on two feet in the elevator.

"Show off," Robin muttered to himself as the elevator doors slid shut. Lilith glanced at him and winked with a smirk, putting a hand on her hip and clipping her gun into its holster at her left thigh. Robin glared at her before glancing away. Really, anywhere that wasn't at her.

"We're headed down?" Aqualad asked, and Lilith glanced up to watch the numbers increase, indicating they were traveling deeper into the ground.

" _Ptica_ , why are we going down?" Lilith demanded, straightening and glaring at Robin.

"Dude, out is up," Kid Flash said, pointedly jabbing his finger at the ceiling.

"Excuse me?" Robin said, not at all thrown by their angry looks. "Project Kr, it's down on Sub-Level 52."

"This is out of control," Aqualad muttered, rubbing the back of his neck. "Perhaps…perhaps we should contact the League," he said slowly.

Just then, the elevator dinged, signifying their stop. The doors opened to reveal a very strange-looking ante-chamber. The walls and floor were red, and the walls seemed to be housing pods for…something.

"Too late," Lilith muttered.

Once it became apparent there was no immediate threat, Robin dashed forward.

"We are already here," Kid Flash reasoned before running after Robin. Aqualad turned to Lilith, who shrugged and dashed forward. Aqualad sighed but followed.

They reached a fork-in-the-road, and they crouched down.

"Which way?" Aqualad asked, looking at Robin.

"Yeah," Robin said exasperatedly. "Bizarre-looking hallway one or bizarre-looking hallway two?"

Before any of them could chose, a voice called, "Halt!" A tall, thin figured stepped forward from bizarre-looking one, and when it came into the light, they saw his skin was bluish-gray and he had two horns protruding from his forehead. His eyes and hors suddenly glowed, and cylindrical metal bins flew at them.

"Great, a telekinetic!" Lilith exclaimed as the bins exploded against the wall behind them. Robin threw a disk at him, but he only stopped it with his mind. Kid Flash started running down bizarre-looking hallway two, leaving the others to follow him. Behind them, something else exploded, but they kept running.

Kid Flash was the first to round the corner, and he skidded to a stop, knocking over a woman was coming toward them. The door was labeled _Project Kr_ , and Kid Flash found something with which to jam the closing doors.

"Hurry!" he called to the others. Immediately they hopped through, and Aqualad kicked the object out of the way, causing the doors to slam shut.

Robin was already at the controls. "I've disabled the door," he informed. "We're safe."

"We're trapped," Aqualad corrected.

"For now," Lilith said with a shrug. Robin turned to glare at her. "They will get that door open eventually," she said, crossing her arms.

"How do you know?" Robin snapped.

Lilith turned and glanced over her shoulder. "All they had to do is find the muscle to pry it open."

"Uh, guys?" Kid Flash said, preventing Robin from responding. "You'll want to see this." He pressed a button on a control panel Lilith hadn't noticed before, and lights flickered on.

"Whoa," Robin breathed.

Standing before them was an occupied cryotube. The glass front bore the letters _K_ and _r_ , and beyond that, Lilith saw a boy garbed in white with a red _S_ that was an exact replica of Superman's. Behind him, each in its own bubble, were the same small creatures Lilith had seen perched on the shoulder of Guardian and on the backs of the giant lumbering creatures. Their eyes were closed, but Lilith didn't think they were sleeping.

Lilith was the first to move, and she slowly walked to the chamber.

" _K, r,_ " she read softly. "Kryptonian."

"Big _K_ , little _r_ ," Kid Flash said from behind her. "More like the atomic symbol for Krypton." He turned back to Robin and Aqualad, who still stood behind the controls. "Clone?" he asked.

"Robin, hack," Aqualad instructed.

"Oh, right, right," Robin said, shaking his head as if to clear it. He hooked up his glove to the screen and got to work. "Weapon designated Superboy, a clone force-grown in…sixteen weeks?!" he exclaimed.

"From DNA acquired from Superman," Lilith murmured, who appeared behind Robin and peered over his shoulder with her eyebrows pinched together in confusion. Her warm breath curled around Robin's ear and he jumped.

"I wish you'd stop doing that," he mumbled lowly.

"Really?" Lilith whispered, raising an eyebrow at him.

" _Stolen_ from Superman," Aqualad corrected, drawing Robin's attention away from Lilith.

"No way the big guy knows about this," Kid Flash said.

"Solar suit allows him to absorb yellow sun radiation twenty-four-seven," Robin continued to read, doing his best to ignore Lilith, who was still hovering over his shoulder, though not quite as close as before.

"And these creatures?" Aqualad asked, pointing to the three creatures above Superboy's head.

"Genomorph gnomes," Lilith declared. "Telepathic. Force-feeding him an education."

"And we can guess what else," Kid Flash muttered darkly. "They're making a slave out of, well, Superman's son."

"He's _not_ Superman's actual son," Lilith said firmly, straightening and moving around the controls, and Robin breathed a sigh of relief.

" _Now_ we contact the League," Aqualad said in a tone that left no room for discussion. He touched his belt buckle, which started to glow, and Kid Flash checked his earpiece.

"No signal," Lilith predicted, not bothering to check her own comm.

"We're in too deep," Kid Flash said. "Literally."

Lilith glanced back at Superboy and saw that the gnomes' horns were now glowing. "That can't be good," she muttered with a wince.

"This is wrong," Kid Flash said, and Lilith could tell he didn't mean the horns.

"We can't leave him like this," Robin said.

After a pause, Aqualad said, "Set him free." He glanced at Robin. "Do it.

" _Agarde_ , we don't know what those gnomes have been telling him," Lilith spoke up, whipping her head around to face them. "We don't know we'll be able to convince him we're _not_ the enemy."

"We don't have a choice," Aqualad said. Robin immediately started fiddling with the controls. With a loud hiss, the walls of Superboy's cage slid out of view. Nobody dared move as they waited for him to move.

Lilith's gaze jumped to his hands, which were the first to test their new freedom. His eyes flashed open, and Lilith hardly had a moment to exhale the breath she had been holding before Superboy threw himself at Aqualad.

They went tumbling, and when they finally settled, Superboy was straddling Aqualad. Superboy got in a few hits before Lilith jumped on his back. She tangled her legs around his arms so her feet were locked behind his back, causing his arms to snap to his sides, and then wrapped her left around his neck.

"I don't want to have to hurt you!" Lilith said, straining to keep her tight grip on Superboy, a grip that would have normally rendered a man unconscious in seconds.

"Whoa!" Kid Flash exclaimed, rushing forward. "Hold up, Supey!"

"We're on your side!" Robin said, running around to try to look Superboy in the eyes.

Suddenly, Superboy leapt off Aqualad. Robin and Kid Flash watched as Superboy slammed into the ceiling with Lilith still clinging to him. Lilith gasped and let go. Kid Flash ran up the wall to catch Lilith. He managed to grab her hand, but then lost his grip on the wall. Lilith quickly pulled out a gun and shot it at a nearby section of the wall. They swung from the cable, and once they were a safe distance from the ground, Lilith released the cable. She landed soundly on the balls of her feet, but Kid Flash, unprepared for the release, went flying into a display case and stayed down.

When Superboy landed, Robin quickly copied Lilith's headlock. "I don't want to do this," he said, pulling a circular blade from his belt and pressing the button on it. A gas was released, and it temporarily choked Superboy, and Aqualad took that distraction and kicked him solidly in the chest. Superboy slammed into the controls and lay still for a moment.

When Superboy got to his feet, Robin shot two metal cables that electrocuted Superboy on impact. It seemed to only momentarily shock him, but Superboy quickly got a grip on the cables and pulled them, and as a result, Robin, toward him. Superboy caught Robin by the head and slammed him into to floor. Superboy placed a foot on Robin's chest and started to step down.

"Enough!" Lilith yelled. She ran forward and whacked Superboy across the temple with the butt of her gun, a move that would have knocked anyone unconscious. Instead, Superboy only stumbled back and clutched his face. Lilith knelt beside Robin and tried to help him up, but he groaned and slumped back to the floor.

Superboy turned toward Lilith and started stalking forward, but Aqualad stepped forward and called, "We are trying to help you." Superboy ground his teeth and glared at Aqualad. He ran forward to punch him, but Aqualad lunged to the side and then tackled Superboy into a wall. Aqualad went to punch Superboy, but Superboy caught his fist easily and kicked him in the chest.

Lilith clipped in a new magazine before shooting a grapple and swinging in a wide circle around Superboy, shooting at him with kryptonite bullets. Superboy growled and momentarily hesitated but then leapt at her. As he did, Lilith cringed and stopped shooting to clutch her head, but Superboy didn't slow his attack. He slammed into her and they went flying into a wall. Lilith cried out in pain and fell, landing with a distinctive _crunch_ on her left shoulder. With a groan she lifted her head to find Aqualad.

Superboy attacked first, throwing a fist but missing Aqualad. While Superboy's body was thrown forward with his momentum of the missed punch, Aqualad kneed him in the chest and then brought down his fist between Superboy's shoulder blades. After another wild swing by Superboy, Aqualad wrapped his arms under Superboy's. His marks glowed blue as Aqualad shocked Superboy. Again, Superboy jumped and slammed Aqualad between himself and the ceiling, and had to do it again to get the Atlantian to finally let go.

Lilith glanced around and saw that everybody was down. Fighting a spinning image, she watched as Superboy stood from his landing crouch and then went to the doors. She saw him easily pry the door open before finally letting her eyelids slide shut.

* * *

 **A/N: Thanks for reading! Until next time :)**

 **And P.S., all the translated words I did off Google Translate, so they may not be 100% accurate.**


	2. Fireworks

**A/N: I own nothing you recognize.**

 **Also: I hope I do a good job at making Lilith not seem like a Mary Sue. Hopefully there are instances through the story that are real-life enough that allow Lilith to appear human and not fairy tale.**

 **Anyway, hope you enjoy :)**

* * *

 **Washington, D.C.  
July 5, 0001 EDT**

 _Time runs short. You must awaken. You must awaken now!_

Lilith gasped and her head snapped up. She groaned when she felt a pulsing throb coming from her left shoulder, and then she glanced around.

Her hands were restrained, and she was being suspended in a box, similar to the one they had found Superboy in. She glanced to her left and saw Aqualad, and to her right was Kid Flash; all of them were in similar casings as herself.

Lilith blinked her eyes to clear the fuzziness from her vision. When she glanced down, she saw Superboy standing in front of them, his brows furrowed.

"What?" Kid Flash managed to say. "Wha-what do you want?" Superboy didn't respond. "Quite staring," Kid Flash snapped. "You're creeping me out."

"Uh, K.F.," Lilith heard Robin say from Kid Flash's other side, "how about we _not_ tick off the guy who can fry us with a look?"

"I don't think he can," Lilith said softly, gazing at Superboy intently. No one heard her.

"We only sought to help you," Aqualad said.

"Yeah," Kid Flash said angrily. "We free you, and you turn on us. How's that for gra—"

"Kid," Aqualad said, glancing past Lilith to try to see Kid Flash, "please, be quiet now. I believe our new friend was not in full controls of his actions."

"Wha-what if I…What if I wasn't?" Superboy said finally, his voice a little rough from no use.

"He can talk?" Kid Flash asked, sounding surprised.

"Of course he can talk!" Lilith exclaimed. "He's human!"

"Yes, _he_ can," Superboy said, clenching his hands into fists and glaring at Kid Flash, completely ignoring Lilith.

"Of course," she grumbled.

Everyone glanced at Kid Flash.

"Not like I said 'it,'" he said defensively.

Aqualad turned back to Superbpy. "The Genomorphs taught you telepathically," he said.

"They taught me much," Superboy confirmed slowly. "I can read, write. I-I know the names of things."

"But have you seen them?" Lilith asked softly.

"Have they ever actually let you see the sky? Or the sun?" Robin jumped in.

"Images are implanted in my mind," Superboy said. "But, no," he admitted, glancing down with a slight frown. "I have not seen them."

"Do you know what you are, who you are?" Aqualad asked.

"I am the Superboy," he replied confidently, "a Genomorph, a clone from the DNA of the Superman, created to replace him should he perish, to destroy him should he turn from the light." His response sounded rehearsed, and Lilith wondered how many times Superboy had heard that mantra in his head.

"To be like Superman is a worthy aspiration," Aqualad commended. "But like Superman, you deserve a life of your own. Beyond that solar suit, beyond your pod. Beyond Cadmus."

"I live because of Cadmus!" Superboy exclaimed angrily, glaring at Aqualad. "It is my home!"

"Your home is a test tube," Lilith said patiently. She searched imploringly for Superboy's gaze, and when he finally met her stare, he seemed to deflate a little.

"We can show you the sun," Robin promised. Lilith glanced briefly at Robin, shaking her head slightly in disbelief; promises should never be made. They never get fulfilled.

"Uh, pretty sure it's after midnight," Kid Flash put in. "But, we can show you the moon!" he quickly added.

"We can show you, introduce you, to Superman," Aqualad said, and Lilith read the look in Superboy's eyes; they had him.

Suddenly, a voice called out, "No, they can't."

Lilith's gaze snapped to the voice, and she saw three people enter the room: Guardian and two people, a man and a woman, in lab coats. All three had a little Genomorph on their shoulder.

"They'll be otherwise occupied." It was the man in the middle who spoke, somewhat savagely. He turned to the woman to his left. "Activate the cloning process," he commanded.

"Pass!" Robin called. "Batcave's crowded enough."

"And get the weapon back in its pod!" the man shouted at Guardian, ignoring Robin completely.

"Hey, how come he gets to call Supey an 'it?'" Kid Flash asked out loud as Guardian marched up behind Superboy. Guardian placed a hand on Superboy's shoulder, and Superboy glanced briefly at Aqualad, then Lilith.

"Help us," Lilith pleaded softly, and the boys could have sworn they heard her voice break.

Guardian started to pull Superboy backward, but Superboy shrugged off his hand and refused to move.

"Don't start thinking now!" the man in the lab coat exclaimed, sounding exasperated. As he passed Superboy and Guardian, the Genomorph perched on his shoulder leapt off and landed lightly on Superboy's. It's horns started to glow, and Lilith shouted, "No!" but it was too late.

"See, you're not a real boy," the man explained in a patronizing way, facing Superboy. "You're a weapon, and you belong to me! Well, to Cadmus," the man admitted, sounding annoyed at the fact, but he quickly added, "Same thing. Now get back to your pod!"

Obediently, Superboy turned and started walking toward the door. Lilith tried desperately to reach out, but it was no use; she just couldn't do it. Superboy disappeared as the door slid shut.

After a nod from the man, the woman started pressing buttons on the controls off to the side. Two arms came out of the bottom of Lilith's box, and four probes sprung out from each arm. The dug themselves into her chest, and Lilith inhaled sharply and screwed up her face in concentration. _Just breath_ , she repeated to herself. _In through the nose, out through the mouth_. To her side, she could hear the boys yelling out in pain.

Lilith gasped when she felt the probes suddenly leave her flesh. She immediately began working on the cuffs on her wrists, wincing as she did. The after-effects she could feel, and it hurt like hell. She glanced up and saw Superboy with the door over his head, and she sighed in relief. He tossed it to the side and strode in.

"I told you to get back to your—" the scientist said as he, Guardian, and the woman raced forward to stop Superboy's advance, but he easily shoved them away.

" _Don't_ give me orders," Superboy said lowly, glaring down at man. Then he turned to the cases.

"You here to help us or fry us?" Kid Flash challenged, glaring at Superboy.

Superboy narrowed his eyes in concentration for a moment before relaxing. "Huh," he said. "I don't seem to have heat vision, so I suppose helping is my only option."

"I told you," Lilith muttered under her breath. After a second, the cuffs released her and the glass front opened with a hiss. She dropped to the floor, and a moment later, Robin joined her, rubbing his wrists.

"Ahh, finally!" he exclaimed. "Lucky Batman _isn't_ here. He'd have my head for taking so long."

"Seriously?" Kid Flash deadpanned from above them. "That's what you're worried about? The whole League will have our heads after tonight!" he yelled.

Lilith pressed a button on the controls, and the probes disappeared and the cases opened.

"Free Aqualad," Robin told Superboy. "I'll get Kid Mouth."

"Don't you give me orders either," Superboy said, glaring at Robin.

" _Oy_ , we can discuss that later," Liltih snapped, stepping between the two. "Right now, let's focus on getting out of here." Superboy didn't say anything but he jumped to Aqualad's side. He easily ripped off the cuffs and caught Aqualad as he slumped forward.

Once Robin had freed Kid Flash, the four of them dropped to the floor and immediately they dashed for the gaping hole.

"Yo-you'll never get out of here!" the man called behind them. "I'll have you back in pods before morning!" he promised.

"Don't make promises you can't keep," Lilith said, stopping at the hole and raising an eyebrow at him.

"That guy is not whelmed, not whelmed at all," Robin said, reaching into his utility belt and throwing four disks at the globes beneath each of their holding cells, globes that Lilith realized contained their blood.

"What is it with you and this whelmed thing?" Lilith grumbled as she took off again, Robin at her heels. Behind her, Lilith heard explosions and crashes, and she knew Cadmus wouldn't be getting their DNA anytime soon.

They were passing through the halls when the bulbous shapes in the walls started to glow red. Lilith gasped and stumbled.

"What is it?" Robin demanded, getting irritated with her constant moaning.

"So many," she rasped. Lilith groaned and clutched her head.

"She won't be any good to us," Robin grumbled, glaring at her resentfully.

"I'll carry her!" Kid Flash exclaimed. He scooped her up and took off again.

"Of course you will," Robin said as the others began running too.

"We are still forty-two levels below ground," Aqualad said. "But if we can make the elevator…"

Their path was blocked when large Genomorphs stepped into view.

"Put me down," Lilith snapped. "I'm fine."

"You are not—" Aqualad started, but he was cut off when Lilith threw a glare at him and said, "I. Am. _Fine_."

Around them, the glowing red pouches began to expand, and soon, more Genomorphs were pushing through the membrane and gathering around them.

Aqualad, Lilith, Robin, and Kid Flash started dodging their way through the larger Genomorphs. They were clear of the large creatures when they heard Superboy yelling and felt the floor rumble.

"Superboy!" Aqualad called. "The goal is escape, not to bury ourselves here!"

"You want escape?" Superboy roared at them, and Lilith winced and rubbed her forehead. He picked up on the fallen Genomorphs and hurled it at the last two standing.

Aqualad pried open the elevator doors again and Lilith glanced up, feeling dismayed at the number of floors they had to climb.

Kid Flash began hopping the narrow ledges that lined the walls, and Lilith and Robin shot their grapples. Superboy grabbed Aqualad just as the large Genomorphs began to approach, and he leapt into the air to fly. But several seconds later, they slowed and gravity started to take hold. "I-I'm falling," Superboy said in disbelief.

Lilith quickly dropped her line, and Superboy managed to grab onto her ankle as he passed her. Lilith grunted and reached up with her right hand to grasp the handle of her gun; her left shoulder still ached from its fall.

"Superman can fly," Superboy said softly. "Why can't I fly?"

"Don't know," Kid Flash said, and Lilith saw that he and Robin were now standing on the ledge right below her. "But it looks like you can leap tall buildings in a single bound. Still cool," he added quickly.

"Drop!" Lilith groaned. Superboy quickly released her and she sighed in relief at the loss of the extra weight. She released the grapple and dropped next to Aqualad and stumbled. Lilith lost her footing and started to fall back. Aqualad quickly grabbed her hand and Superboy anchored Aqualad. Once Lilith was standing safely on the ledge, she turned to Aqualad and Superboy and said, "Thank you."

"Guys, this will have to be our exit!" Robin warned. Lilith glanced up and saw an elevator was coming down. Quickly, Superboy busted the doors and they stumbled into the normal-looking hallway. Genomorphs came at them straight on, and they dashed to the left, Lilith limping severely; her right left felt as though it was out of its socket, and her left arm as though it was jammed into it.

"Go left! Left!" Superboy called from the front of the pack, and everyone followed blindly. "Right!" he directed next.

"Great directions, Supey!" Kid Flash exclaimed angrily; they were at a dead end. "You _trying_ to get us re-podded?"

"No. I-I don't understand," Superboy said, his eyes wide in surprise.

"Don't apologize!" Robin said gleefully from behind Lilith. "This is perfect!"

Lilith followed his gaze and groaned when she saw the ventilation duct. "Great," she mumbled. "Just what I needed."

Aqualad got the cover off, and Superboy helped each of them in, Robin first, then Aqualad, and Kid Flash. Lilith hissed in pain as Superboy gave her the boost, but she smiled thankfully at him once they were in, and he gave her a small one in return.

"Ah, at this rate we'll never get out," Kid Flash grumbled from in front of Lilith after they had crawled several hundred feet.

"Shh!" Superboy said quickly. "Listen," he whispered.

"Keep going," Lilith hissed. She was thankful Robin didn't argue and that he just waved them forward.

Once they were out of the vents, Robin brought everyone to a halt. He fiddled with his computer and a moment later, he said, "I hacked the motion sensors!" He was clearly pleased with himself.

"Sweet," Kid Flash said.

"Still plenty of them between us and out," Lilith pointed out, raising an eyebrow at him.

"But I've finally got room to move!" he exclaimed. Kid Flash pulled his goggles over his eyes and then burst through the door leading to a stairwell and raced up the stairs. He met the smaller Genomorphs first and easily plowed through them, leaving the way open for Aqualad, Robin, and Superboy, who had scooped up Lilith before she could protest.

"More behind us!" Robin informed after consulting the holographic computer. Superboy paused and set Lilith down, who immediately started to limp her way up the stairs as quickly as she could. Superboy shook his head and then stomped his foot on the top step, causing the flight of steps to crumble, taking the Genomorphs down with it.

They finally made it to the top of the stairs, and Kid Flash raced ahead. Alarms were blaring again and red lights pulsed, and Lilith knew before she saw Kid Flash sprawled on the floor that their way had been blocked.

"We are cut off from the street," Aqualad proclaimed, coming up behind Kid Flash.

"Thanks," Kid Flash said sarcastically, rubbing his head. "My head hadn't noticed."

Superboy stepped forward and tried punching through the doors, but that didn't even put a dent in them. Aqualad hurried forward to try to help Superboy pry open the doors, but to no avail.

"Can't hack fast enough," Robin huffed, his fingers flying across the holographic keyboard.

Behind them, the larger Genomorphs appeared, and Robin quickly kicked open the door that was beside him. Everyone hurried through, Lilith waving away Superboy's offer of assistance.

However, before they got very far, they were stopped by Guardian and a whole troop of Genomorphs.

Lilith finally crumpled to the ground. Her right hip was killing her and her left calf was cramping from overcompensating. She groaned and clutched her head, her face betraying obvious pain. The others stood in a protective ring around her.

The four boys took up battle stance, but before they could leap to action, the smallest Genomorph's horns began to glow. Lilith watched as the boys collapsed around her before she lost consciousness again.

When Lilith came to, Aqualad, Kid Flash, and Robin were just stirring as well, and Superboy stood before them, facing the tall, slender Genomorph from the bizarre-looking hallways. Aqualad helped Lilith to her feet, and she gave him a small nod in appreciation.

"Guardian?" Aqualad asked hesitantly, turning to the helmeted man.

"Go," he said, his eyes narrowing. "I'll deal with Desmond." A certain bitterness colored his tone.

"I think not." Guardian and the Genomorphs turned, and Lilith saw the man from below standing, glaring at all of them. "Project Blockbuster will give me the power to restore order to Cadmus," he declared, listing a test tube filled with light blue liquid. Before anyone could react, he threw is head back and swallowed the thing in one gulp.

Immediately, Lilith could see the liquid take effect. She watched, horrified, as Desmond fell to his knees and then began to expand, shredding his shirt and lab coat to ribbons. His eyes became black and red, and his skin began to peel away from his flesh, revealing a new blue skin.

Lilith's eyes widened before snapping shut, her face scrunched in pain. She doubled over and clutched her head. Aqualad glanced at her and put his hands on her shoulders to hold her steady.

The Blockbuster monster straightened with a roar, and everyone waited, watching him scanning them.

"Everyone back!" Guardian called, facing Blockbuster and throwing his arm to the side to keep any of the teenagers from rushing forward. Guardian launched himself at Blockbuster, but he was easily swatted away, like an annoying insect.

Superboy flew at Blockbuster and got in a solid punch but was as easily knocked down as Guardian. After several more punches, Superboy jumped in the air and Blockbuster met him halfway and sent the two of them through the ceiling.

"Okay," Robin said as they gathered under the hole. "That's one way to bust through the ceiling."

"You think Lab Coat planned that?" Kid Flash asked, reaching up to grab Robin's utility belt as Robin rappelled himself upward.

"I doubt he is planning anything anymore," Aqualad said gravely.

"You got that right," Lilith mumbled as Aqualad wrapped his arm around her waist and jumped them through the hole.

When they landed, Lilith watched as Blockbuster and Superboy continued fighting. Blockbuster caught Superboy by the legs and threw him toward them. Lilith got caught between him and Aqualad, and all three flew backwards.

Lilith rolled over and gritted her teeth, her lip curling slightly.

"Remind me never to get on your bad side," Robin said hastily as he helped her up, eyeing her warily.

"Duly noted," Lilith spat, her face contorted in anger, and Robin was suddenly glad they were on the same side.

Blockbuster roared at them, and they stood ready. He was the first to move, and immediately, the others jumped into action.

Kid Flash sped ahead and slid under Blockbuster's feet, momentarily distracting him and letting Superboy and Aqualad get in a solid punch. Blockbuster stepped backward and tripped over Kid Flash, who had knelt behind his feet. Blockbuster fell with a thud.

"Learned that one in kindergarten," Kid Flash said with a satisfied grin.

Robin appeared behind Kid Flash, turning in the air and throwing two exploding disks at Blockbuster, which he easily knocked away.

Blockbuster, deciding Robin was just a nuisance and not a real threat, turned and saw Superboy. He lunged and slammed Superboy into a pillar, and Superboy was able to get in a few hits before Blockbuster threw his own. Just as he was about to pull another one, Aqualad caught Blockbuster's arm in a water whip. Aqualad used the momentum he gained as Blockbuster yanked him closer to knee Blockbuster in the jaw as he flew past. Aqualad planted two feet on the pillar and changed his whip into a mace, but before he could make a hit Blockbuster caught it easily in his hand and threw Aqualad to the floor. Blockbuster turned his attention back to Superboy and threw him into another column, which cracked on impact. Kid Flash ran by just as Aqualad rolled away from Blockbuster's stomping foot. Blockbuster swung his arm around and Kid Flash grabbed hold of his arm, but with another sweep of Blockbuster's arm, Kid Flash went flying into Aqualad, sending them both into another pillar. Blockbuster punched Aqualad with so much force, Aqualad went straight through. Further up, the pillar cracked.

Lilith watched with wide eyes and stopped firing her gun momentarily—which didn't seem to be doing much good anyway. "Of course!" she exclaimed, a plan already forming in her head.

Beside her, Robin seemed to have had the same idea. "K.F.," he called, "get over here!"

Lilith watched as another column base shattered.

"We need to weaken the columns," Lilith explained once Kid Flash was near.

Robin had pulled up a holographic image of the floor and their supports. "Got it?" he asked Kid Flash.

"Got it," he confirmed.

"Go!" Robin exclaimed.

Kid Flash ran to Blockbuster, and as he lifted Superboy over his head, Kid Flash leapt up and punched him across the face. When Kid Flash landed, Lilith noticed he had something clutched in his hand. Kid Flash noticed it too and he said, "Got your nose!" Blockbuster growled and threw Superboy to the ground and began to chase Kid Flash.

Superboy stood and started to go after them, but Lilith called, "Superboy, Aqualad!" She swung her arm around and began to shoot at Blockbuster again as Superboy and Aqualad hurried over to Robin.

"Come and get me, you incredible bulk!" Kid Flash taunted, standing with his back to a pillar. He jumped out of the way as Blockbuster threw his fist at him, and the column was easily shattered. A piece of stone caught Kid Flash in the back and he stumbled forward before falling on his back. Blockbuster rushed forward, but Kid Flash quickly hoped to his feet and sprinted away. Unfortunately , with just a step, Blockbuster caught up and swung his fist, catching Kid Flash in the back and he went flying.

"This one and that one," Lilith heard Robin tell Aqualad and Superboy, and they dashed past her once they had received their directions. Superboy punched through an already-weakened column, and Aqualad sung his mace. Lilith fired at the base of another, weakening the structure. Kid Flash was back on his feet and got Blockbuster to punch through another. "Sorry, try again!" Kid Flash called behind him, already on the move.

In a spot clear of rubble, Robin made a large white X. Aqualad poured water onto the ground beneath Kid Flash's feet, and Kid Flash slid with the water. Once he stopped moving, he stayed put. Blockbuster rushed him, giving Superboy a chance to give him a solid punch undetected. Blockbuster fell with a thud onto the water, which was also right over the X. Aqualad's marks glowed blue, and he touched the water, sending an electric current through it and up into Blockbuster.

"Move!" Robin exclaimed, and immediately the others began running. Robin grabbed Lilith's hand and pull her after him.

Behind them, Lilith heard several of Robin's disks detonate, and the remaining structure collapsed. Superboy pushed Lilith towards the others, and he and Aqualad shielded her, Kid Flash, and Robin as much as possible from the falling rubble.

Superboy was the first to stand once the ground had settled, and Lilith saw that the front of his outfit had been ripped, covering the red _S_. Aqualad stood, and Lilith, Robin, and Kid Flash remained kneeling, wincing as they heard joins and spines crack.

"We…did it," Aqualad said, breathing heavily and turning to look at everyone.

"Was there ever any doubt?" Robin joked, panting, a grin stretching across his and Kid Flash's faces. They high-fived and Lilith slowly got to her feet.

Superboy walked to Blockbuster, who was crushed beneath a slab of rock.

"See?" Kid Flash said, appearing behind. Superboy turned and Kid Flash pointed up. "The moon," he explained. Everyone turned to the sky as a black dot came into view. "Oh. And Superman," Kid Flash added. "Do we keep our promises or what?"

Behind Superman, the other members of the League appeared, and Lilith winched. _This is not going to be pretty_ , she thought grimly.

Superman landed in front of the five, and Superboy stepped forward. Superman's eyes narrowed as Superboy approached, but Superboy lifted the flap of cloth that covered the _S_. Superman's eyes narrowed in confusion and his mouth gaped slightly in surprise, but then his face set in a stern glare.

"Is that what I think it is?" Batman asked softly from behind Superman.

Kid Flash walked forward and said from behind his hand, "He doesn't like being called an 'it.'"

"I'm Superman's clone," Superboy cut in. Behind Superman, the other Leaguers glanced at each other, shocked and confused.

Batman narrowed his eyes. "Start talking," he commanded quietly.

The five glanced at each other before Lilith stepped forward. She told the shortest, most to-the-point story she could, which was actually quite detailed. Once the two Green Lanterns, Hawks, and Captain Atom had left with Blockbuster, the remaining Leaguers stood in two groups, each apart from the five. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Superman approach, and the turned around.

Superman stopped in front of Superboy, and Lilith stepped away to give them more privacy. Superman spoke briefly before turning and flying into the night.

"Cadmus will be investigated," Batman said as he approached the m. "All fifty-two levels. But let's make one thing clear—"

"You should have called," Flash interrupted, appearing behind Batman.

Batman glanced at Flash and then back at the teens. "End results aside, we are not happy. You hacked Justice League systems, disobeyed direct orders, and endangered lives. You will _not_ be doing this again," Batman ended severly.

"I am sorry," Aqualad spoke up, "but we will."

"Aqualad, stand down," Aquaman commanded.

"Apologies, my king, but no," Aqualad said. "We did good work here tonight. The work you trained us to do. Together, on our own, we forged something powerful," he continued. "Important."

"If this is about your treatment at the Hall, the four of you—" Flash started.

"The five of us," Kid Flash snapped. "And it's not."

"Batman, we're ready to use what you taught us," Robin said softly, stepping forward. "Or why teach us at all?"

"Why let them tell us what to do?" Superboy said suddenly, glaring at his feet. "It's simple," he said, walking forward. "Get on board, or get out of the way." He glared at Batman, and the others followed his lead.

For a long moment, an uneasy tension began to fill the space between them and the League, a space that seemed to get longer and larger each passing second. Batman narrowed his eyes, and finally nodded his head.

Lilith sighed; he would think about it.

* * *

 **Gotham City  
July 8, 0745 EDT**

"Lilith."

Naomi Sanders turned to see Batman standing in the doorway, and a shorter shadow lurking behind him.

"Don't you knock?" she snapped, quickly throwing her hand over her eyes and began searching blindly for her mask, her sunglasses…anything to cover her eyes. Once she had secured a pair of dark sunglasses on her face, she looked up at the door and found Robin standing there too. "A home visit," she said, raising an eyebrow. "And at…" She glanced at her watch. "Quarter to eight."

"We found a place for the Team," Batman said.

"We have a name and everything now," Lilith responded. "Fantastic."

"Do you want in or what?" Robin snapped, crossing his arms and glaring at the floor.

"If I get to annoy Wonder Boy on a regular basis, count me in," Lilith responded with a smirk, getting up from her bed and walking over to them.

"Good," Batman said, turning and walking down the hallway. "Let's move."

"Can't believe you live with the original Green Lantern's son," Robin muttered as Lilith filled in beside him.

"When Bruce took you in, he didn't want anything to distract you," Lilith said. "So Alan's son and daughter-in-law took me in."

When they reached the kitchen, Lilith walked up and gave David Scott a hug and Lisa Scott-Aldridge a kiss on the cheek. "I'll call you when I'm on my way home," she promised, giving them a wave as she followed Batman out the door. "Love you!"

"Zeta, right?" Lilith asked and Batman nodded and proceeded to lead them down back alleys before they reached the designated zeta-transporter for Gotham City.

"Lilith, you go first," Batman instructed. Lilith nodded and entered the out-of-order telephone booth.

"Recognized: Lilith, B-0-1."

"Mount Justice," she breathed once she was inside. She turned as Robin and then Batman were announced, and Robin scowled at her.

"Yes," Batman said as Lilith and Robin joined Aqualad, Kid Flash, and Superboy. "This cave was the original secret sanctuary of the Justice League." Batman walked in front of the five of them, all in street clothes and their faces uncovered, save Lilith and Robin. "We're calling it into service again," Batman continued. "Since you five are determined to stay together and fight the good fight, you'll do it on League terms." He glanced at them. "Red Tornado volunteered to live here and be your supervisor. Black Canary's in charge of training. I will deploy you on missions."

" _Real_ missions?" Robin checked.

"Yes," Batman said. "But covert."

"As long as I can cover my face," Lilith spoke up, her shoulders tensing. Batman nodded and she relaxed.

"Why?" Robin muttered out of the corner of his mouth. "Horribly disfigured or something?"

Lilith glanced at him and smirked. "You wish."

"The League will still handle the obvious stuff," Flash put in from behind Kid Flash. "There's a reason we have these big targets on our chests." He poked the emblem in the middle of his chest with a laugh.

"But Cadmus proves the bad guys are getting smarter," Aquaman said. "Batman needs a team that can operate on the sly."

Lilith's eyebrows lifted slightly. "Sly?" she asked with a little laugh.

"The six of you will be that team," Batman said.

"Cool," Robin said. "Wait." He paused. "Six?"

Batman glanced over their shoulders and they turned to see the Martian Manhunter enter with another Martian.

"This is Martian Manhunter's niece," Batman said. "Miss Martian."

"Hi," she said, sounding rather nervous but hiding it well.

"Likin' this gig more every minute," Kid Flash said quietly to Robin.

Lilith scoffed. "Boys," she mumbled.

"Uh, welcome aboard," Kid Flash said louder, walking forward to greet Miss Martian. "I'm Kid Flash. That's Robin, Aqualad," he said, vaguely gesturing to Robin and Aqualad in turn. Robin stepped forward, looking all cool with a hand in a pocket, his dark sunglasses on, and his hand raised in some sort of greeting. Lilith clamped her hand over her mouth to keep her snickers quiet. Aqualad merely nodded his head. "It's cool if you forget their names," Kid Flash added.

"I'm honored to be included," Miss Martian said. Kid Flash and Robin immediately stepped forward, and Aqualad walked behind them.

"It'll be nice not to be the only girl," Lilith said with a glance at the boys, and Miss Martian laughed. Lilith glanced at Superboy, who hung back.

Robin followed her gaze and waved his hand in the air. "Hey, Superboy," he called. "Come meet Miss M." Superboy straightened his shoulders and walked forward.

Lilith watched as Miss Martian's white shirt and blue cape were replaced with a plain black shirt. She glanced away shyly. "I like your t-shirt," she said, looking up at Superboy.

Superboy looked at her and gave her a tiny smile. Robin sidled closer and elbowed him with a devious look on his face, and Kid Flash raced around so he was on Superboy's other side. Together, the three of them stood facing Miss Martian, each smiling at her.

Aqualad stood opposite Lilith, and he looked at everyone. "Today is the day," he said with a small satisfied smile.

* * *

Once Batman was the last League member remaining, he called everyone to the transporter room again, which, as Lilith learned, also acted as the mission room and training room.

"Lilith, I've heard several accounts of you falling in battle," Batman said once they had gathered. Lilith threw a glare at Robin. "You should tell them why."

Lilith shrugged and said, "I jammed my shoulder and dislocated my leg. I guess I couldn't take the pain."

Batman's eyes narrowed. "You know the truth and I know the truth, and we both know that's not it."

Lilith pursed her lips but finally sighed. "I can understand animals," she said slowly.

"But no animal actually made a sound," Robin said immediately, crossing his arms and raising a disbelieving eyebrow at her.

"I can hear their thoughts," Lilith corrected, meeting Robin's gaze evenly. "I reacted the way I did because I had never encountered them before hearing so many of them in my head made me lose focus. And gave me one killer of a headache," she added as an afterthought.

"That would have been nice to know!" Kid Flash exclaimed with a glare.

"Why did you not tell us?" Aqualad asked sternly.

"It's such an insignificant power, I thought it wouldn't matter one way or another," Lilith muttered.

"But a power's a power!" Robin said.

"I never asked for this!" Lilith snapped. "I trained my whole life without the use of powers, and I'm not about to change that now."

"Then how did you come across these powers?" Aqualad asked, trying to calm everyone.

"Science accident," she said shortly. She turned to Batman. "Can I go home now?"

Batman sighed. "Yes, you may."

"Good," she muttered before turning on her heel and walking to the zeta-tubes, pulling out her phone as she did.

* * *

 **A/N: Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoyed. Until next time :)**


	3. Welcome to Happy Harbor

**A/N: I own nothing you recognize.**

 **Thank you for the follows, favs, and comments so far. It's always nice to know someone enjoys your story. Hope you enjoy.**

* * *

 **Mount Justice  
** **July 18, 0200 EDT**

"Located Speedy," Lilith said with a yawn. She stood in the mission room, the holographic computer in front of her. "He's at the Star City harbor."

"Great," Robin said. "You sure you don't want to join us?" he asked.

"You know how he feels about me," Lilith said dismissively, not looking at him.

"He was with you for like, five minutes!" Kid Flash said. "And besides, who wouldn't like you?" Lilith glanced at him and he waggled his eyebrows.

"I can think of a few," Lilith said, raising an eyebrow at Robin. She sighed. "Anyway, he worked with the three of you. He knows you best, trusts you. If anyone will get him back, it's you three." Lilith finally turned around and saw Aqualad had joined them. "You guys ready?" They nodded. "I'm teleporting you to the closest port," she said. "Once you land, I'll send you the coordinates."

Aqualad nodded and went to stand in the teleporter. Kid Flash and Robin joined him.

"Recognized: Aqualad, B-0-3; Kid Flash, B-0-4; Robin, B-0-2."

Lilith turned to the computers once they had disappeared. "Sending coordinates now," she informed once she saw they had landed. There was a pause before she heard Aqualad say, "Received."

"Radio when you're on your way back," she said. "Lilith out."

Lilith yawned again and stretched her arms over her head. Deciding on a pick-me-up, Lilith headed to the kitchen.

While she made herself tea, a shuffle caught her ear and she whirled around.

"Superboy," she said, surprised. "What are you doing up so early?"

"I could ask the same for you," Superboy responded with a small smile.

"The trio went to get Speedy," Lilith said, turning to her tea and stirring in honey. She glanced back at Superboy and blew on the hot liquid.

"I couldn't sleep," Superboy responded.

"Any particular reason?" Lilith asked, cocking her head.

"Leftover Cadmus residue," he said with a frown. "I keep getting flashes, images."

"I'm sure Manhunter could help you," Lilith said. "You know, root around and take out whatever it is that's bothering you."

"I don't feel comfortable with that," Superboy said.

"At least you're being honest," Lilith said with a small laugh. "What if you got to know another mind reader?"

"Are you talking about Miss Martian?" Superboy asked immediately.

Lilith raised an eyebrow. "Possibly."

"I don't—" Superboy started.

"Oh, hold on," Lilith said. She raised her hand to the comm link.

"We're on our way back to the Cave," Aqualad's voice came.

"Roger," she said. "I'll be waiting for a debrief." Lilith turned to Superboy. "Sorry, they're on our way back. But we can continue this another time, yeah?" she asked.

"Sure," Superboy said with a nod, but he didn't look at her.

Lilith hesitated, unsure if she should stay despite, but she turned and headed to the mission room.

Aqualad, Robin, and Kid Flash appeared out of the zeta-tubes. Aqualad opened his mouth to tell Lilith how their recruitment of Roy went, but she held up her hand before he could speak.

"Since Speedy isn't here, I can assume how your conversation went," she said simply. "Now, if you boys are done for the night, I'm going to turn in," she said through another yawn. "See you in the morning."

Kid Flash and Aqualad made their way to one of the tubes, and as Lilith walked to the other one, Robin caught her elbow.

"Hey, Lilith," he said, pulling her to a stop. "Can I ask you something?"

"You just did," she said. She glanced out of the corner of her eye and smirked when she saw Robin scowling at her.

"Ha, ha, very funny," Robin deadpanned. "Where did you live before David and Lisa?"

Lilith pursed her lips. "Well, when I first got taken in by Bruce, I lived with him. He, and the Scotts now, are listed as my legal guardians." She glanced at Robin and saw he was glowering. Her lip quirked slightly. "What's the matter, Wonder Boy?" she asked, inversing his usual _Boy Wonder_ title. "Used to getting special attention because Bruce is your legal guardian?"

"No-o," Robin said, drawing out the _o_. "I'm mad he didn't tell me. Where were you when I came into the picture?" he asked.

"Hm, you were nine, right?" Lilith asked. Robin nodded, not bothering to ask how she knew. "By that time, I had already lived there for two and a half years. One thing led to another, and Batman gave me special access to the Watchtower, thinking I could live there. But I was miserable."

"So how did you get to David's?" Robin prodded.

"Alan got in touch with Bruce, one thing led to another, and David and Lisa were offering me a place to live. I jumped at the opportunity," Lilith said.

"And you've been with them for…" Robin asked.

"What is this, twenty questions?" Lilith asked, raising an eyebrow. "I've lived with for about four years now."

"So, how did you know about Mount Justice?"

Lilith rolled her eyes but gave a small smile and said, "Actually, before David took me in, Batman thought this might be a nice place for me to stay. But it was even worse than the Watchtower."

"Lonely?" Robin guessed.

"Very," Lilith affirmed with a nod.

"And just one more question," Robin said, and Lilith nodded. "Why Batman?"

Lilith tilted her head. "I didn't know Bruce Wayne was Batman when I came to him," she said eventually. "I just knew there was a wealthy man in Gotham, and I thought maybe he could help me."

An awkward silence passed between them.

"Well, uh, I'll let you go," Robin said finally, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Right," Lilith said. "Bye." She turned away and entered the tube.

"Recognized: Lilith, B-0-1."

Lilith reappeared in Gotham and hurried through the streets. Though she lived in a nicer part of the city, the path to the zeta-tube was still littered with crime.

When Lilith got home, she heard someone rustling around in the kitchen. She crept forward quietly and slipped a gun out of its holster. She held it steadily in her hand and then flipped on the light switch.

"What are you doing out so late?"

Lilith gasped but a broad smile crossed her face when she realized who was pawing through the refrigerator.

"James!" she exclaimed.

James Scott laughed and wrapped his arms around Naomi when she launched herself at him. "Good to see you, Birdie."

Naomi rolled her eyes at Adam's nickname for her. Her codename, Lilith, was the name of a female demon that some believed was the mother of all demons, and Lilith often translated to screech owl. "James, what are you doing home? I thought your trip ended in a week."

"Ended early," James replied. "I flew in a few hours ago," he said.

"It's great to have you back," Naomi said with a smile, pulling away. "Well, I need some sleep. See you in the morning."

She turned and took the stairs two at a time to her room. She opened the door and flopped on her bed, not bothering to get dressed.

What seemed like minutes later, Naomi heard a beeping in her ear. With a groan, she turned over and checked the time: 8:45 A.M.

"What?" she asked groggily into the phone.

"Cave. ASAP." Then the line went dead.

"Thanks, Aqualad," Naomi mumbled, picking herself up from her bed. She brushed her teeth, changed, and redid the knot she usual kept her dark hair in. Lilith tripped down the stairs and grabbed an apple from the fruit bowl and scribbled a note for the Scotts before exiting the house and making her way to the zeta-tubes.

When she arrived, Aqualad, Superboy, and Miss Martian were standing around the holographs. Behind her, the zeta announced, "Recognized: Robin, B-0-2; Kid Flash, B-0-4." The two appeared and hurried to the others.

"Did you ask him?" Robin asked immediately.

"What did he say?" Kid Flash asked imploringly.

"He's arriving now," Aqualad said, turning to look at the three.

"Then what are we waiting for?" Kid Flash exclaimed. He took off, and the others followed behind him.

As the Team approached the end of a hallway, the ceiling suddenly lowered, letting in the morning sun and the smell of sea water. They walked up the incline just as they saw Red Tornado's red tornado, and they stopped to greet him.

"Red Tornado!" Kid Flash called, waving his hand.

"Greetings," Red Tornado said, landing. "Is there a reason you intercept me outside the Cave?" he asked.

"We hoped you had a mission for us," Aqualad said, stepping closer.

"Mission assignments are the Batman's responsibility," Red Tornado said.

"But it's been over a week," Robin said with a frown, "and nothing—"

"You'll be tested soon enough," Red Tornado interrupted, holding up his hand. "For the time being, simply enjoy each other's company."

"This Team is not a social club," Aqualad pointed out respectfully.

"No," Red Tornado agreed, "but I am told social interaction is an important team-building exercise. Perhaps you can keep busy by familiarizing yourself with the Cave," he suggested, walking past them before they could respond.

"Keep busy," Kid Flash grumbled.

"Does he _think_ we're falling for this?" Robin asked indignantly.

"Oh, I'll find out!" Miss Martian whispered excitedly. She turned to Red Tornado's retreating back as the scanner said, "Recognized: Red Tornado, 1-6." Miss Martian sighed. "I'm sorry," she said, looking down. "I forgot he's a machine, inorganic. I cannot read his mind."

"Nice try though," Kid Flash said as he walked up to her. "So, uh, you know what I'm thinkin' right now?" he asked flirtatiously.

"We _all_ know what you're thinkin' now," Robin snapped, shoving his elbow into Kid Flash's side.

"Ow," Kid Flash grumbled.

"And now, we tour the clubhouse," Aqualad sighed, not sounding happy about it at all.

"Well, Superboy and I live here," Miss Martian said hesitantly. "We can play tour guides," she said, glancing behind her at Superboy.

"Don't look at me," Superboy said.

"We won't," Kid Flash said lightly to Superboy. "Besides," he said, turning back to Miss Martian, "a private tour sounds much more fun."

"Sh-she never said private!" Robin stuttered, though he leaned toward Kid Flash as though to keep his voice down.

Lilith rolled her eyes. "Boys," she mumbled.

"Team building," Aqualad stepped in. "We'll all go."

"Yippee," Lilith grumbled under her breath. Miss Martian started walking back into the Cave and Kid Flash started to follow. Robin reached forward and yanked him back and began to walk ahead.

"So, this would be our front door," Miss Martian announced, gesturing to the ramp they were currently standing on. They walked through some hallways, and Miss Martian said, "And this would be the back." She opened another door that led to a small cliff that dropped sharply to the water. "The Cave is actually the entire mountain," she included, sounding excited.

"It was hollowed out and reinforced by Superman and Green Lantern in the early days of the League," Robin casually added. Lilith rolled her eyes.

"Then why abandon it for the Hall of Justice?" Superboy asked.

"The Cave's secret location was compromised," Lilith said.

"So they traded it in for a tourist trap?" Superboy asked. "Yeah," he scoffed. "That makes sense."

"But no one actually knows the Watchtower exists," Lilith explained. "So they decided to have a front door for the bad guys to knock on. If the Hall was destroyed for whatever reason, the League can still get to their actual HQ in space."

"I suppose," Superboy grumbled.

"If villains know of the Cave, we must be on constant alert," Miss Martian declared, raising a pointed hand as if to emphasize her point.

Robin stepped forward and took her hand. "The bad guys know we know they know about the place," he said, placing his other hand on top of hers. "So they'd never think to look here." Lilith covered her mouth with her hand to keep her disbelieving smile hidden and to muffle her snicker.

Kid Flash narrowed his eyes and stepped forward, putting his hand on top of Robin's. "Uh, he means we're hiding in plain sight," he translated as Miss Martian pulled her hand away. Robin glared at Kid Flash.

"Ah," Miss Martian said, scratching her head. "That's must clearer."

Lilith sighed and stepped beside Miss Martian, pushing Robin away in the process. "What these two _imbéciles_ mean is: the bad guys wouldn't think to look for us here because they would think the League wouldn't want to have their secret headquarters in a location that has already been discovered."

"Oh!" Miss Martian exclaimed, her eyes lighting up. "That makes much more sense!" Lilith smiled at her and then threw a smirk at the two boys who glared at her.

Robin opened his mouth to say something else but was cut off when Superboy sniffed the air and said, "I smell smoke."

Miss Martian gasped. "My cookies!" she exclaimed and then flew off to the kitchen.

"Cookies?" Lilith asked to no one in particular and followed the others to the kitchen.

When they arrived, Lilith saw Miss Martian levitating a baking tray with nine black disks. Everyone gathered around the kitchen island.

"I was trying to make Grammy Jones's recipe from episode seventeen of—" She quickly cut herself off and gave a nervous laugh. "Never mind."

"I bet they'd have tasted great," Robin assured her. " _He_ doesn't seem to mind," he added snidely with a glance at Kid Flash, who was already crunching on one and had another one in his hand.

Kid Flash glanced around. "I have a serious metabolism," he said through a mouthful of cookie.

"I'll make more?" Miss Martian asked hesitantly.

"It was sweet of you to make any," Aqualad said kindly.

"Thanks, Aqualad," Miss Martian said gratefully.

"We are off duty," Aqualad said. "Call me Kaldur'ahm." He paused. "Actually, my friends call me Kaldur."

"I'm Wally," Kid Flash said immediately, swallowing the cookie. "See? I already trust you with my secret I.D.," he said, leaning across the island toward Miss Martian. "Unlike Mr. Dark Glasses over here," he added, gesturing to Robin. "Batman's forbidden Boy Wonder from telling anyone his real name." Robin glared at Wally.

"What about her?" Robin snapped, throwing a finger at Lilith and not looking at her.

"Everyone loves a good secret," Lilith responded with a coy smile. "Makes it…fun. Mysterious." Robin smirked at Wally, who glanced up at Lilith and gave her a half smile that came out more like a grimace.

"Mine's no secret," Miss Martian said. "It's M'gann M'orzz," she said proudly. "But you can call me Megan. It's an Earth name, and I'm on Earth now." She sounded as though she still couldn't quite believe it.

Lilith saw Superboy stand from his leaning position against one of the kitchen's counters and walk away. Suddenly, he grunted and turned around, looking both disgusted and terrified.

"Get out my head!" he yelled, glaring at M'gann. Everyone turned to her.

 _What's wrong?_ she asked, her voice ghosting through their heads. _I don't understand._ Lilith winced and clutched her head. _Everyone on Mars communicates telepathically_ , she explained.

"M'gann, stop," Kaldur said firmly.

"Things are different on Earth," Lilith explained gently, stepping forward and putting a hand on M'gann's shoulder.

"Here, your powers are an extreme invasion of privacy," Kaldur said.

"Besides," Wally said, leaning toward M'gann, "Cadmus's creepy little psychic genomes left a bad taste in his brain."

"I-I didn't mean to—" M'gann started to say.

"Just stay out," Superboy said harshly, and he walked out of the kitchen.

There was a pause, which M'gann broke. "Hello, Megan!" she exclaimed, hitting her forehead with the palm of her hand. "I know what we can do!" She took off, leaving the others to follow. Lilith passed Superboy, who was sitting on the couch and facing away from them, and Lilith paused before going to him.

"Hey," she said softly. "I'm still here if you ever need anyone to talk to."

Superboy offered her a small smile. "Thanks."

"Now, come on," Lilith said, offering Superboy a hand. "Let's go see M'gann's surprise."

Lilith walked with Superboy to the others, and all of them took the elevator down to the hanger deck.

When the elevator doors opened, M'gann stepped out and said, "It's my Martian Bioship." The Team followed her onto the landing deck and saw a large red egg-shaped ship with two black horizontal lines circling the center.

"Cute," Wally said graciously. "Not aerodynamic, but cute."

"It's at rest, silly," M'gann said. "I'll wake it." She passed her hand once through the air in front of it and it transformed.

"Now that's a ship," Lilith said, crossing her arms and shifting her weight to one leg with an impressed smirk.

M'gann waved her hand again and it turned so they could enter. The back seemed to melt off to become a ramp for them to walk up.

"Well, are you coming?" M'gann asked, turning to look at them. Lilith was the first to walk forward. He glanced back and saw the four boys follow hesitantly, all with the same look of trepidation on their faces.

"Boys like to pretend to be all macho," Lilith whispered to M'gann, though she made sure her voice carried, "but really, they're just big scared-y cats." M'gann giggled and Lilith smirked at the boys, who scowled at her.

They entered a circular chamber, and the back wall quickly disappeared to reveal another portion that ended in a rounded point. A circular mound was centered in the back, and five chairs around the perimeter of the ship materialized, along with the captain's chair and controls at the front.

"Strap in for launch," M'gann said, sounding slightly nervous. Robin and Kid Flash immediately went for the chairs that were on either side of M'gann. As Robin sat, the chair turned so he was facing front and he was strapped in by two belts that formed an X across his chest.

"Whoa," he said, and across the way, Wally said, "Cool." Kaldur took the chair at the head, and Lilith sat to his left, in front of Wally. Superboy took the chair to Kaldur's right.

"Red Tornado, please open the bay doors," M'gann called from her spot in the captain's chair. The wall at the far end slid open, and reaching out, M'gann's hands came in contact with the controls. The lifted a few inches off the ground and took off.

"Incredible!" Robin exclaimed as they moved smoothly over the ocean.

Wally sighed wistfully. "She sure is," he said. When M'gann turned to look at him, Wally stammered, "I-I man the ship, which, like all ships, is a 'she.'"

"Fast with his feet, no-ot so much with his mouth," Robin commented with a smirk.

"Dude!" Wally hissed. M'gann smiled. Robin returned to looking out the window and Wally slumped slightly.

Lilith shook her head and stared straight ahead. Beside her, she heard Kaldur say softly, "I may not have psychic powers, but I can guess what you're thinking. You overreacted, and you don't know how to apologize. Just say sorry." Kaldur gave Superboy a small smile, and Superboy turned forward, looking in deep thought.

"He'll come around," Lilith heard Robin whisper to M'gann.

"He doesn't seem to like me much," M'gann whispered back, sounding sad.

"You guys remember he has super hearing, right?" Wally mock-whispered behind his hand, shooting a look at Superboy. Robin and M'gann glanced at the back of Superboy's head, but he resolutely kept his gaze forward.

"Hey," Robin said to break the tension that had started to fill the ship, "how 'bout showing us a little Martian shape-shifting?"

M'gann gave a small smile and stood, and even Kaldur and Superboy turned around to watch as M'gann's outfit—black flats, pale pink knee-high socks, dark pink skirt with matching cardigan, and pale pink top—morphed into Robin's usual uniform, complete with mask and raven hair. M'gann glanced over at Wally, and spun. When she stopped, she looked like Kid Flash.

"Is it wrong that I think I'm hot?" Wally asked, gazing at female Kid Flash.

"Yes," Lilith said, wrinkling her nose. "Very."

"Impressive," Robin said, giving M'gann a little applause as she morphed back to her usual form. "But you know you're not exactly gonna fool anyone with those."

"Mimicking boys is a lot harder," M'gann said sheepishly as she sat down.

"And, your clothes?" Kaldur asked.

"They're organic, like the ship," M'gann explained. "They respond to my mental commands."

Superboy turned back to the front. "As long as they're the only ones," he muttered.

"Can you do that ghosting-through-walls thing that Manhunter does?" Wally asked quickly when he saw M'gann wilt slightly.

"Density shifting?" M'gann asked, turning to Wally. "No," he said. "I-it's a very advanced technique."

Robin leaned forward in his chair and shot Wally a wicked grin. "Flash can vibrate his molecules right through a wall," he said. He laughed. "When he tries it," Robin said, glancing at Wally, "bloody nose."

"Dude!" Wally exclaimed with a glare.

"Here's something I _can_ do," M'gann said brightly. "Camouflage mode." Lilith glanced out the window and saw that the red Bioship had seemingly disappeared on the outside.

"Red Tornado to Miss Martian," came Red Tornado's disembodied voice. "An emergency alert has been triggered at the Happy Harbor Power Plant. I suggest you investigate, covertly." Lilith glanced at the others, who were glancing around. "I am sending coordinates."

"Received," M'gann said. "Adjusting course."

Robin scoffed. "Tornado's keeping us busy again," he grumbled.

"Well, a simple fire led you to Superboy," M'gann said optimistically. "We should find out what caused the alert."

"I think I know the cause," Lilith said, looking out the window. The others followed her gaze. Below them, a tornado had appeared.

Before M'gann could move the ship, it got sucked in. Everyone grunted as they began to get blown around, but after a moment, M'gann managed to steer them out of the winds. She brought the Bioship to a landing, and everyone dropped to the asphalt.

Lilith heard the workers screaming as the they fled the building, and the tornado danced along behind it.

"Robin, are tornados common to New England?" Kaldur yelled over the noise. Lilith opened her mouth to respond, but Kaldur turned and saw that Robin had disappeared. "Robin?" Robin's tell-tall laugh echoed through the air, and they looked around for him.

"He was just here," M'gann said, looking confused.

"Yeah, well, he does this a lot," Lilith grumbled. Lilith heard explosions coming from the building, and she turned to see the windows of the building shatter.

The Team raced inside the building in time to see Robin get blown against the wall and fall with a thud to the floor.

"Who's your new friend?" Superboy asked, kneeling beside Robin and looking at the machine across from them.

"Didn't catch his name, but he plays kinda rough," Robin said as Superboy took off.

"My apologies," the giant red-and-black robot said. "You may address me as Mr. Twister." He closed his hands into fists and pointed them at the floor before slowly lifting them. Two tornados sprung from each arm, and Superboy charged straight toward them. Mr. Twister lowered his eyes and lifted his hand. One of the twisters caught Superboy and spun him around a few times before releasing him and slamming him into a wall.

Lilith glanced at the others. Wally put on his goggles and Robin stood with a groan. Wally took off running and did a handspring, landing a kick in the center of Mr. Twister's chest before he was blown away. Kaldur and M'gann rushed him together, but Mr. Twister easily blew them back. Kaldur slammed into a column and M'gann hit a railing.

"I was prepared to be challenged by a superhero," Mr. Twister boomed. Robin glared at him and Lilith was planning. "I was not, however," Mr. Twister continued, "expecting children." Lilith glanced at Robin and saw he was holding a disk behind his back. She mentally sighed in relief that he, like her, kept his belt on him at all times.

"We're not children!" Robin said angrily, and he began throwing his toys.

The first disk slid under just as Mr. Twister began his tornados, and it exploded with a puff of air underneath the android, causing the tornados to be scattered and allowing for a disk to lodge itself in the android's chest. Unfortunately, Mr. Twister just glanced down and flicked it away.

Using the pause in wind, Lilith pulled out one of her guns from beneath her coat and began firing, but each bounced off with not even a dent to the machine.

"Objectively, you are," Mr. Twister said as the disk exploded. "Have you no adult supervision?" he asked in mock concern. "I find your presence here quite disturbing."

"Well, we _hate_ to see you disturbed!" Robin called back. Superboy, Kaldur, and M'gann were up again and standing around Robin and Lilith. "Let's see if you're more _turbed_ once we kick your can!"

"Really?" Lilith hissed, referencing Robin's removal of the prefix.

"Not now," commanded Kaldur. Robin glanced at Lilith and smirked, and she just glowered at him.

M'gann reached forward and above Mr. Twister, a tube exploded, momentarily paralyzing him with the pressurized air. Superboy took that time to leap forward, but Mr. Twister just raised his hands and blasted Superboy back, causing him to crash with M'gann in midair. Lilith, Kaldur, and Robin ducked out of the way and continued. Kaldur and Robin were caught in two more of Mr. Twister's tornados, but it gave Lilith the distraction she needed to shoot at Mr. Twister's joints. Kaldur and Robin fell to the floor once the air released them, and for a moment, Lilith thought she had stopped the giant metal man. Her hopeful expression fell when she saw Mr. Twister roll his shoulders and her bullets fall uselessly to the ground. He raised his hand and Lilith was blasted into a wall. Her back hit the wall with a thud and she fell to the floor.

"Indeed," Mr. Twister rumbled. "That was quite turbing." He raised himself in the air and flew out of the building.

Lilith groaned as she tried to raise herself to her knees. Around her, the others stood with varying difficulty. They rushed to the large doorway he had exited and saw Wally get blasted back.

"I got you, Wally," M'gann called. The dust cleared and Lilith saw Wally was hovering a couple inches above the ground.

"Thanks," Wally said once he was on his feet.

"I would have thought you had all learned your limitations by now," Mr. Twister as they stood to face him again.

"What do you want?" Kaldur yelled, stepping forward and spreading his arms.

"Isn't it obvious?" Mr. Twister called, rising in the air. "I'm waiting for a _real_ hero," he goaded.

"Read his mind," Kaldur told M'gann. "Find a weakness."

"I thought I wasn't supposed to do that," M'gann replied helplessly.

"It's okay with the bad guys!" Robin yelled with a glare.

M'gann closed her eyes. "Nothing. I'm getting nothing!" she said desperately. Suddenly she said, "Hello, Megan! Mr. Twister is Red Tornado in disguise!" Lilith furrowed her brow. "He's inorganic, an android," M'gann explained. "And how many android do you know that can generate tornados?"

"Red Tornado sent us here," Kaldur argued weakly.

"After saying we'd be tested soon enough," Robin said slowly, putting the pieces together. "This is his test, something to keep us busy!" he exclaimed angrily.

"Speedy called it," Wally gripped. "We're a joke." Kaldur punched his palm angrily, and Wally said, "This game, so over."

"That's not Red Tornado!" Lilith snapped. "His tornados are red, for one thing. But secondly, his creator could easily create another android to do that exact thing."

The others ignored her and walked toward Mr. Twister.

"We know who you are and what you want!" Robin yelled.

"So let's end this," Kaldur said.

"Consider it ended," Mr. Twister said, and Lilith knew if he had a face, he'd be smirking right now.

Mr. Twister raised his arms in the air, and two tornados erupted from them. Above them, dark clouds started to form, and the wind picked up.

"An impressive show," Kaldur yelled up to him, "but we will not indulge you! We will nod engage!"

Lightning crackled in the sky as the wind continued to pick up.

"Uh, can Red Tornado do that?" Wally asked nervously.

"No, he can't!" Lilith snapped.

"And the girl gets it right," Mr. Twister applauded. "You think I'm Tornado? Ironic."

Lightning struck in front of them and everyone was thrown back.

For a moment, Lilith blacked out. When she roused again, she heard Mr. Twister say, "Fine then. I won't deny you children have power. But playing hide-and-seek with you would not help me achieve my objectives, so stay concealed. If you confront me again, I will show no mercy."

With that, Mr. Twister flew away, taking with him the disagreeable weather.

Slowly, everyone sat up.

"What happened?" Wally asked, sounding groggy.

"I placed the Bioship between us," M'gann said.

Superboy stood from the trench he had created and angrily punched a boulder to bits. "And that's supposed to make it right?" he demanded. "You tricked us into thinking Twister was Red Tornado," he said, stalking toward M'gann.

"she did not do it on purpose," Kaldur spoke.

"I-it was a rookie mistake," Robin defended, turning to Superboy. "We shouldn't have listened."

"And if you had believed me, or even bothered to listen to me, we wouldn't be in this mess!" Lilith yelled, standing and glaring at the boys. "Boys are too impulsive! How do you ever get anything achieved?"

"You're one to talk!" Robin yelled. "If you're so good at planning, why didn't you stop him?"

"Like you would have listened to me anyway, Wonder Boy," Lilith snapped with a sneer. "Females are inferior to you males, after all."

"Well, look where it got us this time," Robin snapped.

"You are pretty inexperienced," Wally said slowly to M'gann, cutting off anymore Lilith-and-Robin arguing. He stuffed his hands in his pockets and glanced at the ground. "Hit the showers," he said eventually. "We'll take it from here."

"Stay out of our way," Superboy growled as he passed, glaring down at M'gann, who was still kneeling on the grass. Superboy, Wally, Robin, and Kaldur all hurried away.

"I was just trying to be part of the team," M'gann said weakly.

"To be honest," Lilith said softly, "I'm not sure we really have a team."

"Aren't you going to join the boys?" M'gann asked.

Lilith held out a hand of M'gann. "Nah," she said with a small smile. "I'm more of a plan-it-out-first type of gal. That's the only way we operated: with a plan."

"Who is 'we?'" M'gann asked as they climbed onto the Bioshiip.

"Nobody important," Lilith said dismissively, waving her hand vaguely in the air.

"Maybe we should call Red Tornado and ask him to help us," M'gann said once they were in the ship. Lilith pursed her lips but nodded.

Red Tornado picked up immediately.

"The Team really needs your help," M'gann said desperately.

"If I intervened, it would not be to help," Red Tornado said. "Still, it is an odd coincidence that this Twister shares my elemental abilities and my immunity to telepathy."

" _Tietysti!_ " Lilith exclaimed. "I've got an idea," she said and began explaining her plan to M'gann.

M'gann nodded along and once Lilith was done, M'gann moved the Bioship closer to the docks, where Mr. Twister was fighting Superboy, Aqualad, Robin, and Kid Flash.

 _Listen to me_ , M'gann spoke once she was in range. _All of you._

"What did we tell you?" Superboy roared, glaring at the sky.

 _I know!_ M'gann exclaimed. _And I know I messed up, but now I've very clear on what we need to do. Lilith and I have come up with a plan. Please, trust us._

* * *

After explaining the plan, M'gann parked the Bioship and she and Lilith hopped off.

"We're not too far from the docks," M'gann said. "Are you going to be okay walking there?"

"Yeah, I'll make it in time," Lilith responded with a smile. "See you there!"

M'gann smiled back and flew off, and Lilith made her way as quickly as she could to the docks.

She arrived behind the boys just as Red Tornado appeared. "Hit the showers, boys," he said, landing in front of them. "I was hoping you could handle this. Clearly, you cannot."

"But we've got a plan now!" Robin exclaimed.

"The subject is not up for debate," Red Tornado said. The boys and Lilith turned and started walking away. They crouched out of sight and waited.

"I was beginning to believe you'd never show up," Lilith heard Mr. Twister say.

"I am here now," Red Tornado said. After throwing a couple tornados back and forth, Red Tornado said, "We are evenly matched, Twister."

"No, Tornado, we are not," Mr. Twister said. He sent arcs of electricity toward Red Tornado, and he managed to dodge it until the lightning hit a boat gas tank, causing it to explode. Red Tornado landed with a thud, and Mr. Twister approached.

"Remain still, Android," Mr. Twister commanded. He lifted his hand and five wires popped out of the tips of his fingers and attached themselves to Red Tornado. "The reprogramming won't take long."

Suddenly, Red Tornado lifted his hand and ripped out the cords. "Longer than you might think." Red Tornado's head had morphed into M'gann's, and Mr. Twister stumbled back.

"No," he said, not wanting to believe it. M'gann lifted her hand and blasted Mr. Twister off his feet. Behind him, a tornado appeared and tossed Mr. Twister behind M'gann. The tornado disappeared, and Wally came to stop.

Superboy instantly took advantage of Mr. Twister's unstableness. He punched him a few times, and then punched him twice through the chest. With one last punch, Superboy released him and Mr. Twister disappeared under the water.

After a moment, Mr. Twister was thrown into the air again, and he crashed onto the dock.

M'gann rose and lifted the android and pulled off his remaining arm. From behind her, Robin and Lilith ran forward, Robin throwing his exploding disks and Lilith shooting electrically charged bullets. Mr. Twister exploded, and M'gann released him.

He fell with a thud and lifted himself so he was kneeling. Everyone stood before him. The chest opened to reveal a man sitting at controls, and he fell forward with a grunt.

"Foul," he said weakly. "I-I call foul!"

M'gann stepped forward and then glanced to her side. She levitated a boulder and raised it above her head.

"M'gann, no!" Kaldur yelled, rushing forward, but Lilith placed a hand on his chest. M'gann lowered the boulder on top of him.

Robin stormed up to M'gann and yelled, "Don't know how things are done on Mars, but on Earth, we don't execute our captives!"

"You said you trust me," M'gann said with a devious smile.

Lilith shook her head but a smile tugged on her lips. "When will you boys learn that girls simply know best?"

"You knew she was going to do this?" Robin demanded, turning on Lilith.

Lilith tsked. "Show them, M'gann."

The boys turned to the boulder and M'gann lifted it. Underneath were the broken parts…of a robot.

" _That's_ why I couldn't read his mind," M'gann said.

"If a human had been inside the suit, M'gann still would have been able to read his thoughts," Lilith explained.

Wally stepped forward and picked up an eye. "Cool," he said. "Souvenir."

"We should have had more faith in you," Kaldur said. "Both of you."

"Yeah," Wally said. "You rocked this mission. Get it? Rocked?"

"Ignore him," Robin told M'gann. "We're all just turbed you're on the Team."

M'gann gave a small laugh. "Thanks. Me too."

* * *

That night, they debriefed in the mission room. They had gathered the pieces of the robots, and they were now on a platform that had risen from the center of the practice ring.

"It was clearly designed to sabotage or destroy you," Kaldur said to Red Tornado.

"I'm leaning toward sabotage," Lilith said thoughtfully.

"What makes you say that?" Robin challenged.

"Didn't you hear the android?" Lilith asked. "The android was talking about a reprogramming. And since he was the bad guy, I assume the reprogramming wouldn't have been good for Tornado."

"Agreed," Red Tornado said.

"Is that why you wouldn't help us?" M'gann asked.

"No," Red Tornado said simply. "This was your battle. I do not believe it is my role to solve your problems for you. Nor should you solve mine for me." They all paused what they were doing and looked at him.

"But, if you're in danger…" M'gann said.

"Consider this matter closed," Red Tornado said. He turned and walked away before any of them could argue.

"Batman, Aquaman, and Flash, they'd have jumped right in to fix things," Wally said sourly, watching Red Tornado's retreating figure.

"Guess if we're gonna have a babysitter, a heartless machine is exactly what we need," Robin muttered.

"Dude!" Wally exclaimed.

"Harsh," Lilith said, scowling at Robin.

"And inaccurate," Red Tornado called. "I have a heart: carbon-steel alloy." He turned back to them. "I also have excellent hearing."

Robin gave a nervous laugh. "Right. Sorry. I'll, uh, strive to be more accurate."

"And more respectful," Lilith added pointedly. Red Tornado turned and walked away.

"Speedy was so wrong," Wally said to Robin and Kaldur.

"This team thing," Robin continued.

"Might just work out," Kaldur finished.

Lilith rolled her eyes but smiled. "Well, I'd better get going. See you guys later."

She walked to the zeta-tubes and waved as she disappeared.

When she got home, James was in the kitchen again.

"Out at all hours again, Naomi?" James asked, raising an eyebrow.

Naomi rolled her eyes. "Whatever Jamie," she said with a smile. "What did Lisa make for dinner?"

"Pasta salad," James said, nodding toward the refrigerator.

"Hmm," Naomi said. "Delicious."

"So what have you been up to?" James asked once Naomi was seated at the kitchen island.

Naomi swallowed her food and said, "You know, the usual. Saved Happy Harbor from a giant android this time." She tilted her head. "I never understood why you and David never got into the crime-fighting business."

James shrugged, staring at his plate. "Dad didn't want to endanger Mom, and I never really got into it."

"Fair enough," Naomi said, standing and putting the food back in the refrigerator. She yawned and stretched. "I'm heading to bed. See you later."

Naomi showered and changed before climbing into bed, drifting off in a dreamless sleep.

* * *

 **A/N: Thanks for reading. Until next time :)**

 **P.S. Again, all translated words are from Google Translate, so they may not be entirely correct. If I get comments concerning the unrelated translations, I can go back and add the words in the Author's Note at the end of chapters.**


	4. Drop-Zone

**A/N: I own nothing you recognize.**

 **Guest (from Chapter 2): I will certainly do my best to keep Lilith from sounding or being like a Mary Sue. My goal is to make her as human as possible, not to make her a perfect hero, and I hope a do a good job at that.**

 **SnowWolf22: I'm glad you're enjoying Demons so far and I hope I can keep that up.**

 **Arcadia Sterling: Like I said with the guest, I will do my best to keep Lilith as un-Mary-Sue-like as possible.**

 **killian . rainey: Lilith was never actually a member of the Justice League. I called her an honorary member because she had/still has-though she does not use it-access to the Watchtower during that short period when she had no where else to go. Her weapon of choice are guns, and with Batman's help, she has specialized bullets to meet different needs. She never shoots real ammunition. As for her secrets...she has plenty of those, and the simple reason is this: she is ashamed of her past, and honestly, quite terrified of it. She wants to leave it there, and her desire to be rid of her "demons" leads her to build as many walls of defense as possible to keep people from getting too close. She's closest to Batman and the Scotts, but even they don't know _exactly_ what happened to Lilith before she came to Batman.**

 **Please feel free to ask any questions, and I'd love to hear what you think of Demons so far.**

 **Hope you enjoy.**

* * *

 **Mount Justice  
July 21, 2000 EDT**

Lilith was in the training room when the zeta-beam announced the arrival of Batman, which could only mean one thing: mission time.

"I'll call the others," Lilith said immediately. She touched the ear piece and said, "Batman's here. Come to the mission room, now."

Lilith watched as Batman pulled up the holographic screens and soon everyone arrived.

"Isla Santa Prisca," Batman said. An image of the said island appeared on the screen. "This island nation is the primary source of a dangerous and illegal neurosteroid, a strength enhancing drug sold under the street name Venom." The screens changed to show images of a factory and its statistics. "infrared heat signatures indicate their factory is still operating at full capacity, but all shipments of Venom have been inexplicably cut off." He turned to them. "That's where the Team comes in," he said. "This is a covert recon mission only. Observe and report. If the Justice League needs to intervene, it will." Batman turned back to the screens, and another aerial view of the island popped up. "The plan requires two dop zones." Two large red dots, marked _A_ and _B_ appeared on the island.

"So who's in charge?" Robin asked, trying to sound nonchalant but Lilith noticed he couldn't keep the anticipation out of his voice.

Batman and Red Tornado glanced at each other and then turned to them. "Work that out between you," Batman said. Robin nodded, but a smile crossed his lips.

"It will take you five to six hours to reach Santa Prisca," Batman said. "I suggest you leave here no later than 1430 tomorrow." When they continued to stare at him, Batman nodded and said, "That's all." He walked back to the transporter and vanished.

Lilith checked the time again and said, "I'd better get home. I'll see you guys tomorrow." She waved at the Team and disappeared.

"I'm home!" she called once she had closed and locked the front door.

"You're back early," James said from the living room.

"Dinner's in ten minutes if you want to go upstairs and change," Lisa said from the kitchen.

"Sounds good," Naomi said with a smile. She took a quick shower and changed and was downstairs by the time Lisa called, "Dinner's ready!"

Naomi took her usual place at the table as Lisa set the plates at the table.

"Dig in everyone," Lisa said as she sat down herself.

"Everything looks lovely, love," David said with a warm smile at his wife.

"Thanks, hon," Lisa replied. "Now eat before it gets cold!"

"So anything on the docket for tomorrow, Naomi?" David asked as they tucked in.

"Oh, yeah!" Naomi said. "We have a covert mission in Santa Prisca."

"Can you tell us what your mission is?" James asked, glancing up from her plate.

"Apparently there's a manufacturing plant for an illegal neurosteroid there," Naomi said. "And shipments off the island have dropped, so Batman wants us to investigate."

"Stay safe, sweetheart," Lisa said with a worried look.

"Ah, this one can take care of herself," David said with a laugh. "Can't you, hon?"

"Absolutely," Naomi said with a smile.

"Well, you'd better get to bed soon if you're going to be up early," Lisa said with a small smile. "You'll need your energy."

"Of course," Naomi said. The rest of dinner was spent discussing lighter subjects, and Naomi went to bed soon after.

The next day, Naomi woke early. She dressed in civilian clothes and put her uniform in a large crossbody bag. She said goodbye to Lisa and David and hit the streets of Gotham.

When she reached the Cave, she went directly to the kitchen. Lilith grabbed an apple and then went to change. When she was done, she went to a training room and did some warmups by herself.

A little while later, Aqualad's voice came over the Cave-wide speakers. "Team, meet in the bay."

Lilith grabbed a bottle of water and went to the locker rooms to shove her bag in a locker before joining the Team by the Bioship.

Just after eight o'clock local time, the Team was over the Carribean Sea. The six sat in silence. Miss Martian was at the captain's chair, and Lilith was sitting at the head with Robin and Kid Flash flanking her, Superboy and Aqualad behind them.

"We're approaching Santa Prisca," Miss Martian said finally. On the widow in front of them, a holograph appeared, giving them stats. Lilith glanced back at Robin and furrowed her brow when she saw the same little smile she had seen cross Robin's face the previous day when Batman had given them their assignment.

"Drop zone A in thirty," Miss Martian called, and Lilith watched as Robin straightened in his chair and then frowned. Behind them, Aqualad stood from his seat. He touched his belt buckle and Lilith watched as his dark green and red uniform faded to black and dark grey.

"Ready," Aqualad said.

"Putting Bioship in camouflage mode," Miss Martian informed, and then opened a hole at the bottom of the ship for Aqualad to disappear.

"Heat and motion sensors are patched," Aqualad said softly through their com units. "Data is now on a continuous loop. Move in."

"Drop zone B," Miss Martian said once they were over their designated location. Everyone stood, and Miss Martian lowered a cable for Robin and Kid Flash to hook onto.

"Lilith?" Miss Martian asked, lowering a third cable for her.

"Oh, uh, yeah," Lilith said, reaching up and grabbing the clip to hook onto her belt.

"Never used a drop line before?" Robin taunted.

Lilith glared at him. "Never had to," she retorted. "I've survived longer drops than this."

"Sure," Robin scoffed.

Lilith raised an eyebrow and released the dropline.

Behind her, Kid Flash attached his clip and pressed the lightning bolt symbol at the center of his chest. His bright yellow and red uniform turned black and dark gray.

"How cool is this?" he asked, turning to Miss Martian and Lilith.

"Very impressive," Miss Martian humored, though Lilith continued her glaring contest with Robin. Miss Martian concentrated and her blue skirt and white top turned into a black one-piece with a dark cape with a hood.

"Uh, that works too," Kid Flash said once Miss Martian was done. "Hey, Supey," he called to Superboy, "not too late to put on the new stealth tech."

"No capes, no tights," Superboy said. "No offense."

"It totally works for you," Miss Martian said, spacing out and gazing at him. "In that…you can totally do good work in those clothes," she quickly added. Superboy stared at her for a second before turning away, but Lilith swore she caught a hint of a smile from him. Miss Martian pulled the hood over her head and went to camouflage mode.

Miss Martian opened a hole for them to drop through, and she flew down, Robin and Kid Flash followed closely on their cables. Lilith jumped next and expertly ducked into a roll before standing on her feet without a sound.

"Impressive," Kid Flash said with a nod and a smile.

"Yeah, great," Robin grumbled, fixing something on his glove.

"Basic training," Lilith mumbled, glancing around at the three on the ground. "I, uh, can show you sometime," she added quietly, looking at Robin. His head snapped up and he found Lilith giving him a small smile.

"That'd be cool," he admitted with a small smile of his own.

Lilith glanced up and quickly jumped out of the way, the others following her example. Superboy landed with a thump that shook the ground beneath their feet.

Superboy stood from the shallow crater he had formed. "Knew I didn't need a line," he said with a satisfied smirk.

"And yet, creating a seismic event may not have helped us much with the _covert_ ," Robin snapped from his spot at the base of a tree.

"Aqualad, Drop zone B is go," Lilith informed the Atlantean over the noise.

"Head for the factory," he responded. "I'll track your GPS and rendezvous ASAP."

"Roger that," Lilith said. She glanced down and saw Robin had pulled up a map, and they gathered around him. Once everyone had confirmed their knowledge of their endpoint, Robin stood and took off, leaving everyone to fall behind him.

He took the lead, consulting his map every so often to make sure they stayed on track. After passing a waterfall and climbing up a short ledge, Robin paused and looked at the map. Lilith glanced over his shoulder—as was becoming habit—and read _Danger: Mines Detected._

Behind her, Superboy asked, "Did you hear that?"

Everyone shook their heads. "Uh, no," Kid Flash said for all of them. "Wait, is that a super-hearing thing?" he asked.

"You do have great ears," Miss Martian told Superboy in the same dreamy tone she had used back in the Bioship. Lilith glanced at Superboy and caught a faint blush cover his cheeks.

"Okay, Rob," Kid Flash said. "Now what?" He glanced back to find Robin had disappeared. "Man, I hate it when he does that," he grumbled in a huff. Lilith just sighed and shook her head.

"Superboy, Kid," Aqualad called over the comms, "switch to infrared. See if you're being tracked." Kid Flash pulled his goggles over his eyes and Superboy began scanning the area.

"Got a squad of bozos incoming," Kid Flash informed. Lilith hurried forward to get a better look.

"Two squads," Superboy corrected. "Looks like they'll meet each other before they find us," he added.

Suddenly, gunshots echoed through the jungle.

"No super-hearing required now," Kid Flash said.

"Swing wide, steer clear," Aqualad's voice commanded.

"Y-yeah, just as soon as I find Rob," Kid Flash said, already walking forward.

"No!" Lilith whispered harshly, lunging forward and grabbing Kid Flash's arm. "No offense, but you don't exactly have 'steal' in the bag," she said.

"I'll only be a minute," Kid Flash said with a grin. "No need to worry about me."

"I'm not—" Lilith started, but he was already gone. "—worried about you," she finished. "I'm worried about us."

Sure enough, a moment later, they heard Kid Flash say, "Huh? Oof!" Lilith growled as the tell-tale signs of a tumble down a hill followed closely.

The gunshots stopped, and Lilith hurried forward, Miss Martian and Superboy following behind her.

"So much for stealthy," Lilith heard Kid Flash mumbled as they reached the clearing.

Immediately both sides started firing again. Not knowing what else to do, Lilith sprang to action.

She ran forward, clipping in a magazine of stunners as she did. Three men dropped quickly as Lilith ran into the fray. Two robed in red came forward, one after the other, and Lilith flipped over their heads. She landed between the two and jabbed one in the stomach and swung around and sent an uppercut to the other.

Lilith stood ready for another adversary when a shadow passed over two of the men. They glanced up, and Robin dropped down from above. "What is wrong with you guys?" he demanded angrily as he kicked one away. "Remember covert?" He threw an upper jab at the other and then turned to face them. "Why didn't you follow my lead, vanish into the jungle?"

"That's what you were doing?" Kid Flash asked as he swung a punch.

"Way to fill us in!" Lilith yelled, glaring over her shoulder as she shot two more men with stunners.

"We're not mind readers you know," Kid Flash pointed out. Behind him, Miss Martian took out three of the red-cloaked figures. "Er, I'm not, anyway," Kid Flash amended.

"You told me I could only read the bad guys' minds," Miss Martian said as she turned to them, confusion written all over her face.

Lilith glanced behind Robin and saw another red figure running away. She aimed her gun over Robin's shoulder, and he flinched out of the way. Before she could shoot, Aqualad appeared from the trees and placed his hand on the man's chest, shocking him.

Lilith began to move, picking up a red-clad figure and dragging it over to a tree. The others followed her lead, and soon, they had the red-donned men tied to one tree, and the civilian-dressed men to another.

"I recognize those uniforms," Lilith said, crouching so she was level with the men in red. "They belong to the cult of the Kobra."

"I am certain Batman would have mentioned it if he knew a dangerous extremist was running Santa Prisca's Venom operation," Aqualad said.

"Agreed," Lilith said with a nod.

"And since there's clearly no love lost between the cultists and those goons, I'm betting Kobra came in and tossed them out," Robin pieced together, cradling his chin with his hand and frowning in thought. "That's why normal supply lines have been cut off," he finished, sounding pleased with himself.

"We get it," Kid Flash said. "Kobra wanted super cultists. Mystery solved. Radio Bats and we'll be home in time—"

"These cultists aren't on Venom," Lilith interrupted, standing from her crouched position.

"Kobra's hoarding the stuff!" Robin exclaimed. "We don't leave," he proclaimed. "Not until I know why."

"Until _you_ know why?" Kid Flash challenged, leaning down so his face was in Robin's.

"This team needs a leader," Robin argued.

"And it's you?" Kid Flash asked sarcastically. "Dude, you're a thirteen-year-old kid who ducked out on us without a word!"

Robin laughed loudly in Kid Flash's face. "And you're a mature fifteen? You blew our cover first chance you got!"

"We all know you're the leader," Lilith said lowly to Aqualad, who stood and watched the two bicker.

"Perhaps," Aqualad said, but Lilith could tell he didn't quite believe that.

Lilith's ear twitched when she heard voice start to speak. She tilted her head and listened in.

"Look at them argue!" one of the goons muttered in Spanish. "Free yourself and take them while they're distracted!"

"Quiet!" the white-faced man commanded. "For now I play along," he said. "They'll give me what I need."

The man finished talking and Lilith heard Kid Flash say to Robin, "Yeah? You don't even have superpowers!"

"Neither does Batman!" Robin yelled back.

"Duh, you're _not_ Batman," Kid Flash said.

"Duh," Robin parroted, "closest thing we've got."

The white-faced man chuckled, and everyone stood around him. "Such clever _niños_ ," he said. "But you only know half the story. Let me show you the rest," he persuaded, "get you into the factory via my secret entrance."

Miss Martian knelt in front of him. "There _is_ a secret entrance," she confirmed, "but he's also hiding something." Her eyes glowed white as she delved into his mind.

"Uh, uh, uh, _chica_ ," the man said with a chiding tone. "Bane is not that easy."

"Why must people refer to themselves in the third person?" Lilith mumbled to herself.

"Robin in unsure what Lilith is talking about," Robin whispered back, and he smirked at Lilith's glare.

"Ugh," Miss Martian said, pulling away from Bane's mind. "He's mentally reciting _fútbol_ scores _en Español_ ," she grumbled. "This could take a while," she said, turning to the Team.

"It's not complicated," Bane said. "The enemy of my enemy is my friend," he said with a grin. Lilith glanced at the Team, and almost unconsciously, Lilith noticed, they took their cue from Aqualad.

Lilith cut Bane out of the rope and stepped back as he stood. "Thank you, _niña bonita_ ," he purred, reaching forward to stroke her head.

Lilith slapped his hand away sharply, looking repulsed. "Don't touch me," she said, sounding affronted. "Just show us where to go."

After hiking for several minutes in a silence, they finally reached a cliff that overlooked the factory. Bane stopped there and let the Team step forward. Robin lifted binoculars to his eyes and Lilith lifted her own to her mask.

"Look at all that product," she mumbled, watching as a Kobra member drove a crate with three more armed Kobras walking beside it. "The buy _is_ going down."

"But if Kobra's not selling to the usual suspects, then—" Robin started.

"We need to identify that buyer," Aqualad interrupted.

"Just what I was thinking," Kid Flash said, lifting his goggles.

"Yeah," Robin said sarcastically. "You're the thinker."

"Sarcasm?" Kid Flash questioned. "Dude."

"A _real_ leader would focus on getting answers," Lilith said, standing and walking away from the edge.

Bane grunted and lifted a boulder that was blocking an entrance. He tossed it aside, and said, "Answers are this way."

He entered the tunnel and Kid Flash said, "So, now El Luchador is our leader." Robin gave him a shove and followed Bane, the others filing in after them.

The Team finally reached a metal door, and Bane touched his thumb to a small button. The door beeped and then slid open for them. They walked down a short hallway before reaching another door.

Bane opened it slowly and peeked out. Robin ducked forward and stuck his head out, looking around. "All clear," Robin whispered and he dashed forward.

"Robin!" Lilith hissed, lunging forward to seize his arm, but it was too late.

By the time they had entered the main floor, Robin had already disappeared. "Has that little fool already been caught?" Bane questioned, looking back at them.

"No," Lilith said with a sigh. "He just does that."

"Stay put," Kid Flash said, pulling his goggles over his eyes. "I'll get our intel and be back before they Boy Wonder," he added with a confident smirk.

"Wait, Kid!" Aqualad said, but Kid Flash was already a black blur.

"Great chain of command," Bane said derisively.

"Let us get a closer look," Aqualad said with a sigh, and he started to move forward. The remaining Team and Bane reached an empty flatbed of a truck, and they crouched behind it. "It's a massive shipment," he whispered once everyone was together.

"Yeah, but they're only taking new product off the line," Superboy observed. "They're not touching this Venom."

"Maybe freshness counts?" Miss Martian voiced out loud.

"Helicopters coming," Superboy warned, and everyone glanced up at the ceiling.

"We need a better view," Lilith suggested quietly, and she started moving towards a set of metal stairs that led to a walkway above them.

"It sounds like something's happening outside," Superboy informed.

"I'll fly down and see what's going on," Miss Martian said, and she pulled the hood over her head and faded from view.

A few minutes later, Aqualad gasped "Sportsmaster. He is the buyer?" He touched his ear piece and said, "Aqualad to Red Tornado. Do you read?" Aqualad paused, waiting. "Ugh," he grunted. "Can't reach the League, Robin, or Kid."

"We need a plan," Aqualad said.

" _Now_ ," Lilith added.

"I have a suggestion," Bane said with a smile that made Lilith nervous. _What was he planning?_

Bane threw himself off the scaffold. _That, apparently_. He easily knocked back one Kobra, but the second started shooting before Bane got to him. Lilith's eyes widened and she leapt off the scaffold and landed on another one just as something crashed through the window behind her. It landed between Superboy and Aqualad and split the scaffold. All three landed and stood, prepared to fight.

Lilith glanced down and saw the thing that had crashed through the window seemed to be the result of the new and improved Venom. He towered over all of them with sharpened canines and tears in his skin that revealed his red muscles.

"Destroy them!" a voice commanded from behind the Venom-ed man, who was quite a mammoth. Lilith looked down and saw a man with a snake-like nose and a dark red cloak with a hood that resembled a snake's head.

Mammoth roared and rushed forward, and Superboy met him halfway. They collided with a thud, and the other Kobras ran forward, which Lilith began shooting with stunners. She flipped herself off the landing and ducked into a roll and came up running. Several robed men hurried toward Lilith, but before she could do anything, they were thrown back by an invisible force, and Lilith guessed it was Miss Martian.

Lilith glanced behind her and saw Robin and Kid Flash on a walkway above them. Kid Flash immediately started making his way down, but Lilith saw Robin's eyes narrow and the corner of his lip twitch upward. _Uh oh,_ she thought. _Not good._

She and Aqualad retreated and ducked between two pillars. At their other side, two more Kobras came forward, but Kid Flash appeared and kicked them back. Three appeared on the walkway above them, and Kid Flash ducked out of the way. Lilith turned and shot the three in quick succession and then pulled back.

"Miss Martian," Aqualad called from beside Lilith, "radio is jammed! Link us up!"

 _Everyone online?_ Miss Martian's voice asked.

 _Yeah,_ Superboy grumbled.

 _You know it, beautiful,_ Kid Flash flirted.

 _Now's not a good time for seduction!_ Lilith snapped, turning to glare at Kid Flash.

 _No need to be jealous_ , Kid Flash responded with a wink. Lilith just groaned and shook her head.

 _Good,_ Aqualad said, ignoring Kid Flash and Lilith. _We need to regroup._

 _Busy now,_ came Robin's voice, and Lilith's eyes widened.

 _Robin, now!_ Aqualad demanded, and Lilith watched as Robin came into view. _Strategic retreat,_ Aqualad said once he saw Robin. _Kid, clear a path_ , he directed.

Kid Flash rushed forward and the five Kobras shooting at the Team were knocked down. Everyone began running after him. They headed for the door from which they had entered, and once they reached the metal door that led to the tunnel, Superboy closed it behind them. They didn't pause before running toward the exit, and a loud crash echoed around them.

"Superboy, the support beams!" Aqualad directed. Superboy hung back and let the Team pass before punching the wooden posts that helped keep the tunnel from caving in. Instantly, there was a rumbling and large rocks began to collapse behind them.

Finally, Aqualad called a halt and Lilith skidded to a stop. She leaned against the wall to catch her breath, and she reached in her belt and pulled out a super-powered glowstick. She cracked it and the dark tunnel was bathed in a red light.

"How could my first mission as leader go so wrong?" Robin inquired, sounding perplexed.

Lilith's eyebrows shot to her hairline. "Who elected you leader?" she asked.

"He does have the most experience," Aqualad pointed out. Lilith opened her mouth to say something but then snapped it shut. Aqualad tilted his head at Lilith, silently probing for Lilith to say what was on her mind, but she shook his head. "But perhaps that is exactly what has left you unprepared," Aqualad continued, turning from Lilith to Robin. "Fighting alongside Batman, your roles are defined," he said. "You two do not need to talk. But this team is new. And a leader must be clear, explicit," he explained. "He cannot vanished and expect others to play parts of an unknown plan."

"Oh, so I'm supposed to hold everyone's hands?" Robin snapped, whirling around to face them, but he sighed and seemed to deflate a little. "Ah, who am I kidding?" he mumbled. He looked up at Aqualad. "You should lead us, Kaldur," Robin said. "You're the only one who can."

"Please!" Kid Flash scoffed. "I can run circles—"

"Kid Flash!" Lilith hissed, turning to glare at him.

"Come on," Robin said quietly to Kid Flash. "You know he's the one. We all do."

"Hello, Megan!" Miss Martian said. "It's so obvious!"

"Could have told ya," Superboy said gruffly, crossing his arms, but Lilith caught a small smile cross his lips.

Lilith didn't say anything but she nodded and gave Aqualad a warm smile. She glanced to her side and stared at Kid Flash. Kid Flash finally shrugged and smiled. "Okay," he said.

Aqualad walked forward to Robin and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Then I accept the burden until you are ready to lift it from my shoulders," Aqualad said. "You were born to lead this Team. Maybe not now, but soon." Lilith saw Robin's lip curl at the corner and he nodded.

"Alright," Aqualad said, stepping back to address the Team again. "Our first priority is preventing that shipment from leaving this island.

"Funny," Robin said, crossing his arms and smirking. "I had the same thought." Lilith gave Robin a little shove as she moved forward to complete the circle. Robin turned to glare at her, but he found her facing Aqualad with a small smile playing on her lips.

"We need to know exactly what we're facing," Superboy started.

"We found something," Kid Flash said.

"Venom and Blockbuster, combined to form a Super Venom," Robin jumped in.

Kid Flash nodded. "And it's three times as strong, and permanent," he added.

"And Sportsmaster arrived by helicopter," Miss Martian said.

"So we stop Sportsmaster from leaving this island," Lilith stated, crossing her arms across her chest.

"Superboy and Miss Martian, that will be your job," Aqualad said finally. "Robin, Kid Flash, Lilith, and myself will keep Kobra's men off you two." Everyone nodded upon hearing their assignments.

"Let's go," Superboy said, looking ready to knock some heads.

"Sportsmaster's the supplier-slash-buyer," Robin reiterated as they ran through the tunnel. "But it still doesn't track," he huffed. "He doesn't have the juice to acquire the Blockbuster formula, or to get Kobra to do his dirty work."

"And neither of them have the chops to bond Blockbuster with Venom," Kid Flash said. " _That_ took some serious nerdage."

"I believe the expression is 'tip of the iceberg,'" Aqualad said, coming to a sudden halt at the tunnel entrance.

Lilith peered around Aqualad and saw Bane standing before them, something clutched in his hand. He let it drop to the ground, which was already littered with empty vials. Lilith looked up at Bane again, and by his buffed up muscles, she could only assume he had just injected himself with Venom.

"Halt, _niños_ ," Bane commanded with a devilish smile. "I'm feeling… _explosive_." Lilith heard a faint beeping and she glanced up to find multiple bombs rigged to the last set of support beams.

"You're original," Lilith commented with a snort.

"You betrayed us," Aqualad said, his eyes wide in astonishment. "Why?"

"I want my factory back," Bane said in an easy tone.

 _Kid,_ Aqualad's voice whispered, _you'll need a running start._

"So I forced you into a situation," Bane continued, "where you would either take down my enemies, or die trying." Kid Flash had slipped into the shadows of the tunnel. "If the latter, the Justice League would _certainly_ have come to avenge their sidekicks."

"We're not sidekicks," Lilith heard Robin mutter angrily at that title.

"And when the smoke cleared," Bane persisted, "Santa Prisca would be mine once more. Blowing the tunnel with you inside," he said, lifting his hand to reveal the trigger that would activate the bombs, "should have the same effect." Bane lowered his thumb as if to press the trigger, but nothing happened. His eyes widened in surprise and he stared disbelievingly at his empty hand.

"With what?" Kid Flash called from behind him. Bane turned and found him leaning casually against a tree. "This trigger thingy?"

Bane yelled in outrage and swung his fist, but his yell quickly became one of surprise as he was thrown back and hovered by Miss Martian. Lilith stepped forward with the others.

"Finally," Superboy said with a smirk, standing next to Miss Martian. "Drop him." Miss Martian released her control over Bane, and he fell to the earth, right towards Superboy's fist. Once he was tied up again, the Team hurried down to the factory.

Lilith saw many Kobras part to let Sportsmaster through. Kid Flash ran in and managed to knock out several.

"Take the shipment!" Lilith heard Master Kobra yell at Sportsmaster as she jumped into action. She shot one Kobra with a stunner and dodged another one's wild swing. While the Kobra was doubled over by his momentum, Lilith vaulted over him and kicked another in the chest, sending him stumbling back into another Kobra.

"Souvenir." Lilith glanced up to see Kid Flash holding a Kobra mask. Behind Kid Flash stood Master Kobra and Shimmer. Lilith took quick aim and shot Shimmer with a stunner.

"I had that," Robin grumbled, straightening and lowering his arm, which was aiming to throw a weighted line.

Lilith was prevented from answering when another Kobra came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her shoulders. Lilith grunted and threw her head back and she heard cartilage crack. As the Kobra stumbled back, Lilith spun around and knocked the man in the head with her heel.

"I know you hate getting your hands dirty," Lilith heard Robin remark with a smirk.

"True," Master Kobra said, narrowing his eyes and dropping his robe. "But sometimes even a god must stoop to conquer."

Lilith ducked under another swing by a Kobra and she kicked him back and shot him with a stunner. As another rushed forward and Lilith blocked his punch and then dropped into a crouch and swiped the feet from under him.

"I am plagued by mosquitos."

Lilith looked up from the man she had knocked down and saw Robin flat on his back with Master Kobra standing over him with his foot on his chest.

"Good," Robin grunted. "'Cause this mosquito's mighty _concerted_ over your pain!"

Lilith felt a hand on her shoulder, and she turned to see Aqualad. Kid Flash, Superboy, and Miss Martian had gathered behind Robin, who had managed to throw off Master Kobra's foot, and Lilith and Aqualad joined them.

Master Kobra stared at each one, weighing his chances. Finally, his lip twitched and he said, "Another time, then," before backing into the trees. Lilith hurried forward and parted the ferns through which he had disappeared, but saw nothing. He had vanished.

She walked back to the Team as Robin said with a smile, "We picked the right guy to lead." He walked up to Aqualad and then said with a devious tone, "Automatically making _you_ the right guy to explain this mess to Batman!" He turned towards the burning factory and threw open his arms before doubling forward with laughter.

"Boys," Lilith muttered, shaking her head.

* * *

 **Mount Justice  
August 4, 0106 EDT**

"A _simple_ recon mission, observe and report." Batman didn't sound happy. The six members of the Team had been summed to the mission room and found a glowering Batman standing there, waiting for them. "You'll receive a written evaluation detailing your _many_ mistakes," he said sharply, pacing in front of them. He turned once he got to the end of the line. "Until then," he said, "good job."

Lilith had been looking at her shoes, but when she heard Batman say _Good job_ in a surprisingly soft tone, she snapped her head up to look at him.

"No battle plan survives first contact with the enemy," Batman explained. "How you adjust to the unforeseen is what determines success," he said, turning to walk away. "And how you choose who leads determines character."

Once he had disappeared, Lilith breathed a sigh of relief and then let out a shaky laugh.

"We survived our first mission," she said.

"And the wrath of Batman," Wally added.

"That was nothing," Lilith and Robin said together. They glanced at each other and shared an uncertain laugh.

As Lilith's laughter died down, Kaldur said, "What were you going to say back in the tunnel?"

Lilith's smile instantly disappeared. She pursed her lips before finally saying, "Simply that Robin doesn't have the most experience."

"You can top four years?" Robin challenged, raising an eyebrow and crossing his arms.

After a second's hesitation, Lilith simply said, "Six," before turning on her heel and walking away.

* * *

 **A/N: Hope you enjoyed. I will try to update as often as possible, but with school and everything it implies, that may be difficult. I'm aiming for at least once a week, Friday through Sunday.**

 **Also, there should not be any spaces in the pen name killian . rainey, but for some reason, that was the only way I could get the name to appear.**

 **Thanks for reading. Until next time :)**


	5. Schooled

**A/N: I own nothing you recognize.**

 **Guest (chapter 4): Thank you for the kind words :)**

 **o82730132u (guest): If my story is absolute trash, why did you read all four chapters before reviewing? Many people read fanfics for many different reasons. And how has my character replaced Robin? And is she too perfect? How do you define "perfect?"**

 **killian . rainey: Robin dislikes not being the "golden boy," in terms of being trained by Batman, and Lilith manages to push his buttons in just the right way. As for her uniform, it's a black long-sleeved one piece with dark purple accents, and a dark purple screech owl to the left that activates winter stealth mode (since black is the standard stealth mode color). She has three guns: two at each thigh and another that serves as a grapple that is at her right hip. She has two daggers at her left side for close combat, though she rarely uses them.**

 **Feel free to ask any questions or make any comment.**

 **Hope you enjoy :)**

* * *

 **Gotham City  
August 3, 1147 EDT**

"Late night?" James asked as Naomi tripped down the stairs.

"You could say that," Naomi responded with a yawn. "Covert missions in faraway lands makes one seriously jet-lagged."

She dug through the refrigerator looking for orange juice when her comm unit beeped in her ear. Naomi sighed but responded. "Lilith here."

"I am calling to remind you that Black Canary is coming to the Cave around one o'clock this afternoon," Aqualad said.

"Oh, crap," Naomi groaned. "Okay, I'll zeta ASAP. Lilith out."

"So much for your relaxing day off," James teased.

Naomi gave James a shove as she made her way back upstairs to change and stuck her tongue out at him. She dashed up the stairs and was back down in minutes, dressed in civilian clothes and her uniform folded neatly in a bag.

"I'll call when I'm on my way home," Naomi said, placing her sunglasses on her nose before waving behind her and stepping out the front door.

"Recognized: Lilith, B-0-1."

Lilith stepped out of the zeta tubes and found Robin and Kid Flash playing a round of holographic air-hockey. Miss Martian and Aqualad stood around, watching them.

"Lilith!" Miss Martian exclaimed happily. "Come join us!"

Lilith smiled at the young Martian's happy attitude. "Let me change and I'll be back," she promised. She made her way to her Cave bedroom to change. When she made it back to the training room, it look as though Robin and Kid Flash were starting a new game.

"Who won last round?" Lilith asked, coming up to stand next to Miss Martian.

"Him," Robin grumbled.

"I play next winner," Aqualad declared.

A few minutes later, Aqualad was takin Robin's place. Robin scowled at the table and went to stand between Miss Martian and Lilith.

"Lil, when I'm done, feel free to challenge me too," Kid Flash said with a wink before starting the next game. Lilith raised an eyebrow but didn't respond.

After a few minutes, a _Tweet!_ came from the hologram as Kid Flash scored a point against Aqualad while eating a banana.

"Recgonized: Superboy, B-0-4." The Team watched as Superboy stalked into the room, and Lilith saw Miss Martian smile.

"Hi, Superboy," Miss Martian said as he walked through the holographic table. "How was Metropolis?" she asked. Her smile fell when Superboy didn't respond.

Behind them, a throat cleared. Lilith turned to see Black Canary walk in with Martian Manhunter.

"Ready for training, everyone?" Black Canary asked.

"Black Canary," Miss Martian greeted. "Uncle J'onn!" she exclaimed. She rushed forward and wrapped her arms around him.

"M'gann, I was in the neighborhood so I thought I'd see how you were adjusting," Manhunter said, though there was something in his tone that made Lilith think that may not have been the complete truth.

"A few bumps, but I'm learning," Miss Martian responded.

"That is all I can ask," Manhunter said with a small smile.

Lilith glanced out of the corner of her eye and saw Superboy walking away. "Stick around," Black Canary said, looking at him as well. "Class is in session." Superboy stopped walking and turned around, but didn't walk back.

Black Canary stood in the middle of the large ring, and it lit up under her feet. "I consider it an honor to be your teacher," she said, turning so she was facing the Team, her back to Superboy. "I'll throw a lot at you," she said, reaching up to shrug off her short blue jacket. "Everything I've learned from my own mentor…" She grunted as she lifted her left shoulder. "And my own bruises," she added with a wry smile.

"What happened?" Miss Martian asked in concern as Black Canary reached up to touch the bandage wrapped around the upper part of her arm.

"The job," Black Canary said shortly. "Now, combat is about controlling conflict," she said, getting back to business. "Putting the battle on your terms. You should always be acting, never _re_ acting." She gazed at the Team. "I'll need a sparring partner."

"Right here," Kid Flash said instantly, his hand shooting in the air. He walked forward so he was standing in front of Black Canary. He finished his banana and said, "After this…" He paused and tossed the banana peel away, imitating the sound of a basket being made. "I'll show you _my_ moves."

Lilith saw Black Canary's eyebrow lift slightly, but then the corner of her mouth curled up in a smirk and she nodded, narrowing her eyes in concentration.

Black Canary moved immediately, throwing a punch at Kid Flash which he blocked easily. But pulling out of the punch, Black Canary ducked and swung her foot around, knocking Kid Flash on his back. He landed with a thud on the holograph floor, and a circle appeared around his torso with a tag that read _Kid Flash Status: FAIL_.

Kid Flash groaned. "Hurts so good," he gasped.

"Good block," Black Canary said, reaching down to help Kid Flash to his feet. "But did anyone see what he did wrong?"

"Ooh, ooh!" Robin said. "He hit on teacher and got served?" Lilith whacked the back of his head without glancing at him. "Ow," he grumbled, rubbing his head.

"Dude!" Kid Flash exclaimed, his eyes widening.

Black Canary looked hard at the Team. "He allowed me to dictate the terms of—"

"Oh, please," Superboy scoffed, cutting off Black Canary. She glanced back at Superboy, who stood with his arms crossed and a scowl on his face. "With my power, the battle's _always_ on my terms," he said. "I'm a living weapon, and this is a waste of my time," he finished with a glare at Black Canary.

"Prove it," Black Canary challenged softly, looking at Superboy. He walked up to Black Canary, and Kid Flash backed away nervously. They stood facing each other, Superboy glaring and Black Canary with narrowed eyes. They gave slight nods of their heads and then took ready positions.

Superboy threw first with a grunt. Black Canary moved out of the way and grabbed Superboy's outstretched arm with both hands. Using his forward momentum, she easily tossed him and he landed with a thud on his back.

Robin pointed and burst out laughing. Lilith turned to him in disbelief as Aqualad nudged him, and Robin quickly covered his mouth with both hands.

Superboy stood with a growl.

"You're angry," Black Canary said. "Good, but don't react. Channel that anger into—" She was cut off as Superboy ran at her with a frustrated yell. As he reached her, Black Canary sprang into the air and flipped over his head, landing behind him. Superboy turned, but Black Canary's leg was already sweeping under his feet, and he fell again. Robin snickered.

"That's it!" Superboy yelled angrily, sitting up and ignoring Black Canary's offered hand. "I'm done."

"Training is mandatory," Black Canary said quietly, placing a hand on his shoulder to stop his retreat. Superboy threw off her hand and turned to glare at her.

They were interrupted when Batman's image appeared on a holographic screen.

"Batman to the Cave," he said. Everyone quickly stepped forward. "Five hours ago, a new menace attacked Green Arrow and Black Canary. The attacker was capable of studying, then duplicating, the powers and abilities of its opponents." At the top left corner, another image appeared of the very human-looking robot as it battled various members of the League. "Arrow called in reinforcements, which nearly proved disastrous, as our foe gained more and more power with each new combatant."

"Whoa," Kid Flash said quietly. "One guy with the powers of the entire League?" he asked in disbelief.

"In the end, it took eight Leaguers four hours to defeat and dismantle the android," Batman continued.

"An android?" Robin asked. "W-who made it? T.O. Morrow?"

"What a name," Lilith muttered. Robin turned to glare at her and she quickly cleared her throat. "Right, sorry."

"Good guess, Robin," Batman said. "But Red Tornado doesn't think so." Lilith furrowed her eyebrows; what would an android know of another android?

"The technology bears the signature of Professor Ivo," Manhunter added.

"Ivo?" Aqualad asked, turning back to Batman. "But Ivo's dead."

"So we all thought," Black Canary said grimly, turning to glance at Aqualad over her shoulder, "or hoped."

"To make certain this threat is permanently neutralized," Batman continued, "we're sending two trucks carrying the android's parts to two separate STAR Lab facilities in Boston and New York for immediate evaluation." A new screen appeared to the right of Batman, which showed a map with a bright red dot and dashed lines pointing in the direction of the two cities. "Every precaution is being taken," Batman said. "We'll have four additional decoy trucks to create confusion in case Ivo, or anyone, tries to recover the remains. You will split into undercover teams to safeguard the two real trucks."

"Yes!" Kid Flash exclaimed. "Road trip!"

"So now we take out your trash?" Superboy demanded, scowling at Batman.

"You had something better to do?" Batman countered, unfazed by Superboy's glare.

"Coordinates received," Aqualad said. "On our way."

"Wait, wait," Lilith said, stopping everyone in their tracks. She turned to Batman. "Are we the only ones guarding the trucks?" she asked.

"Are you doubting the Team?" Batman asked, raising an eyebrow.

"That's not what I meant," Lilith said. "I mean, are other League members going to guard the other trucks?"

"Why would they need to guard empty trucks?" Robin asked impatiently.

"If Ivo had people follow all six trucks, won't it tip them off if only two of the trucks are protected?" Lilith pushed.

"They don't know where the trucks are meeting," Batman reassured.

"I'm not convinced of any of this," Lilith said, crossing her arms over her chest, though she looked more nervous than challenging.

"It's supposed to be an easy job," Batman said.

"But—"

"Enough," Batman commanded. Lilith fell silent. "Time to go."

* * *

 **Litchfield County  
August 3, 2008 EDT**

When the Team reached the trucks, Lilith stopped dead and glared at Batman.

"'They don't know where the trucks are meeting?'" she quoted. She pointed at the crater that the trucks were parked next to. "That looks awfully familiar," she said, referencing the video clip Batman had shown them of the android fighting the League.

"We've got this under control," Superman said, stepping forward. "And you've got a job to do."

Instead of becoming mad or irritated at being rebuffed, like Robin thought she would, Lilith wrapped her arms around her torso and bit her lip, looking uncomfortable, even nervous.

"Superboy, Robin, Lilith." The three turned to Batman. "You will be following the truck going to New York." Batman turned to the other three. "You'll be following the truck to Boston." All six nodded. They walked to their motorcycles and climbed on, pulling the helmets over their heads.

Robin watched as Lilith began checking and double-checking her bike. She was muttering under her breath, "Check, check," pause, "check, yes, yes," pause, "good, okay, check." Once she had gone over everything, she leaned her bike on its brace and began drumming her fingers on the handles.

"Relax," Robin said quietly, reaching to the side and touching her hand. Lilith jumped and whipped her head around at the mysterious contact, but she didn't pull away once she realized it was Robin. "The League has it under control."

Lilith bit her lip and nodded, but she didn't look convinced. Before Robin could reassure her further, the trucks started and Lilith revved her sleek black motorbike. The trucks drove off, three to the right and three to the left. Superboy took off, and Lilith and Robin quickly followed. When they reached an off-ramp, the first two trucks peeled to the left while the truck containing the android's parts continued straight.

"If dislike is the opposite of like," Robin started once he had pulled back to ride beside Lilith, "is disaster the opposite of aster?" He saw the corners of Lilith's lips twitch up at that. "See, instead of things going wrong," Robin reasoned, "they go right."

Lilith glanced over at Robin and she said, "Doesn't work like that, kid," a small smile playing on her lips. She turned her attention back to the road, but Robin's inquiry had the effect he was hoping for: Lilith was much more relaxed. Ahead of them, Superboy revved his bike and picked up his speed.

"Uh, clearly he's not feeling the aster," Robin said as he and Lilith sped up. "Wonder what's wrong."

"Canary," came Superboy's response. Lilith forgot that their helmets had been designed for easy communication between the teams. "I mean, what business does she have, teaching combat skills to a guy with super strength?" he huffed.

"Taking down stronger guys is part of the gig," Lilith explained with a shrug.

"Canary learned the hard way," Robin said. "Same with Batman and, well, me."

"Sometimes you need to fight the little people's fight in order to stay ahead," Lilith said gently. Superboy didn't respond, just revved his engine again and picked up the slack on the truck.

Lilith heard a rustle in the corn fields to their right. "Something's—" she started to say when black and neon green robotic monkeys suddenly shot out of the field. They cackled and attached themselves to the truck.

"Robin, Superboy, Lilith!" came Aqualad's disembodied voice through Lilith's comm unit. "Our truck is under attack!"

"Kinda figured," Robin responded, looking at the monkeys.

"I hate monkeys," Superboy growled, glaring at the chittering robots hanging on the back of the truck.

"Robot monkeys!" Robin exclaimed as the truck jogged back and forth between lanes. "Totally Ivo's tweaked style," he said with a bitter laugh. He pressed a button on his bike and the front wheel pulled itself in while the back wheel detached and took to the air.

"Hey, hey, switch your ride to battle mode," Robin called to Lilith and Superboy.

"No point," Superboy said before launching himself off his bike and onto the top of the truck. His motocycle teetered for a second before falling to its side.

"Or not!" Robin exclaimed as he jumped off his bike to keep from crashing. Lilith swerved to miss both bikes and pulled alongside the truck. She pulled out a gun and began shooting the monkeys that were hanging onto the side. Above her, she saw Superboy using his bare hands to smash and toss robots off the truck. Superboy yelled out in pain and Lilith watched as four monkeys lifted Superboy off the truck and then dropped him on the asphalt. Robin took Superboy's place on the top of the truck, and Lilith dropped back to try to cover both sides and the back.

Lilith caught sight of two androids and she aimed her guns, but their laser eyes had already gone off, causing the tires to explode.

She growled. "Get it together, _dummkopf_ ," she muttered. Lilith swerved her bike around the truck and pulled up in front.

"Get out!" she heard Robin yell at the driver. She heard a thump and a yell, and Lilith realized Robin must have leapt off the truck. Glancing behind her, she quickly pulled back and she watched as the truck went tumbling. The back exploded and the monkeys flew out, two carrying the case with the android's parts between them.

Lilith set the kick stand and hurried over to the two men who were supposed to have guarded the case. She helped them out of the truck just as Robin emerged from the corn, supporting the weight of the driver. She pulled off her helmet and watched the robots fly away, cackling as they went.

With a yell, Superboy lifted the truck off himself, and with a grunt, launched himself at the monkeys.

"Superboy!" Lilith yelled, but his feet were already off the ground. She watched him sail through the sky and land in the corn before taking off again.

Lilith sighed and walked her motorcycle back to Robin just as she heard Aqualad say, "Aqualad to Robin. We've lost our cargo. Did you—"

Robin sighed and said, "It's gone. And so is my partner."

"Aqualad to Superboy," Aqualad called next. "Radio your position. We'll help you."

"I don't need help," Superboy yelled, and in a fainter voice, "don't want any!"

"Superboy?" Aqualad called.

"I think he ditched his comm," Robin said. Lilith began poking around the truck, trying to find something that could be of use.

" _Super_ ," Kid Flash said over the link. "Now we can't even track him."

"He's out of my telepathic range," Miss Martian said in dismay.

"And this Professor Ivo, if he is alive, seems to be two steps ahead of us," Lilith said bitterly.

"M-maybe w-we should contact Red Tornado?" Miss Martian asked hesitantly.

Aqualad sighed. "Tornado always tells us to handle things ourselves," he said. "And the mission can still succeed if we recover the parts before they're reassembled."

"Well, that's a great plan," Kid Flash said sarcastically. "Except for the part about us not knowing _where to look!_ "

"Maybe we do," Lilith mumbled as she kneeled down at Robin's feet. Robin glanced down in surprise but quickly spotted when she had seen. He knelt down and pulled a cable from his gloves.

"You're like the Boy Scouts of America," Lilith muttered, but she glanced at Robin and gave him a little nudge. Robin found himself smiling at her before plugging in his cable to one of the six receptors in the robot's back.

"We'd have heard by now if the decoy trucks had been attacked," Robin said as he started tapping buttons on his wrist. "So how did these monkeys know exactly which trucks to target?" A holograph appeared. "Ha!" Robin exclaimed. "The parts have GPS."

"I knew it," Lilith said, shaking her head and glaring at the ground. "The monkeys can track the signal."

"Which means _I_ can track _them_ with the one I captured," Robin concluded. "Looks like both sets of parts are converging on…Gotham City." Lilith glanced up at Robin and did a double take. She couldn't see is eyes, but she knew if his facial expression was any indication, his eyes were wide, with trepidation most likely.

"That far south?" Aqualad said disheartedly. "M'gann and I won't get there anytime soon. I'm sending Kid on ahead to meet you. Aqualad out."

Robin stood and slung the robot over his shoulder, and Lilith followed his lead and walked over to her bike.

"Come on," she said, pulling on her helmet and throwing her leg over the seat.

"What?" Robin asked, momentarily frozen.

Lilith huffed. "We'll get there faster if we take my bike and don't backtrack to yours," she said.

"But my costume," Robin said.

"Fine, fine," Lilith said impatiently. "Just get on and I'll take you there."

"Definitely a disaster," Robin muttered as he walked toward Lilith. "Heavy on the _dis_." When he reached her, he hesitantly lowered himself on the seat behind her and awkwardly put his hands on her shoulders. Lilith rolled her eyes and kicked the bike into motion. They jumped forward, and instinctively, Robin wrapped his arms around her waist to steady himself. Robin felt Lilith laugh, and he mumbled, "Shut up."

A few minutes later, they reached Robin's and Superboy's overturned motorcycles. Robin hopped off quickly.

"What are you doing?" he asked as Lilith turned off the engine.

"I'm going to change too," she said simply and pulled out her uniform from a pouch in the back.

"Just hurry up," Robin grumbled.

Lilith laughed. "Whatever, Wonder Boy," she said, stepping into the corn field.

When Robin finally stepped out, he saw Lilith leaning against her motorcycle, casually polishing one of her two daggers. She glanced up and Robin saw she had replaced her sunglasses with her usual domino white-out mask. Her lip quirked. "'Bout time," she said before straightening and stowing the dagger in its sheath. She swung her leg over her bike and put on her helmet again. Robin scrambled to straighten his bike, and he breathed a sigh of relief when it started. He climbed on and pulled on his helmet.

Lilith glanced at Robin, and he nodded. Lilith revved the engine, and they took off toward Gotham City.

* * *

 **Gotham City  
August 3, 2127 EDT**

They had just reached Gotham City limits when Kid Flash came running alongside them.

"So you changed too?" Robin called out. Lilith glanced over and saw Kid Flash in his bright yellow and red costume.

"You kidding?" Kid Flash asked with a shudder. "I feel naked in civvies. You still tracking the parts?"

"They were headed _through_ Gotham," Robin said, "but they veered." He glanced down at his GPS. "Wait! Dude, they're at m—Gotham Academy," he said. Lilith's eyes widened and she shifted uncomfortably on her bike.

"You okay?" Robin called out to her.

"Yeah, yeah," Lilith said.

The three of them raced for Gotham City Academy. When they reached the parking lot, Robin said, "In the gymnasium."

Robin took off and Lilith followed after him. Once Kid Flash saw the building they were heading toward, he ran ahead and disappeared through the doors. Lilith and Robin ran in through the other doors, and appeared in time to see Kid Flash snatch Superboy and carry him to where Robin and Lilith were standing.

Robin threw a disk, but the android just said, "Martian Manhunter," and the disk passed right through his head and exploded against the wall. "Access Red Tornado," the android said, and the signature red tornado appeared under him. Android leaned forward and floated toward them and blew them back. Superboy and Robin crashed into the bleachers and Lilith and Kid Flash slammed into a wall. Kid Flash stood with a grunt and Android said, "Access Captain Atom." He lifted his hand and Kid Flash scooped up Lilith before they could be hit by Android.

"Thanks, but put me down!" Lilith exclaimed, and Kid Flash paused long enough for Lilith to hop down before he sped off again.

"Access Black Canary," Lilith heard Android say, and she winced as Black Canary's cry echoed in the gym. She heard Kid Flash crash and slide against the waxed floors. Lilith grabbed a gun and shot it at the ceiling. A suction burst from the end of it and sailed through the air. She pulled herself up and balanced on the thin window sill.

"Superman," Android said, and Lilith glanced down to see Superboy throw a punch that Android easily caught. Lilith began firing statically-charged bullets, hoping it would short out the Android's system. A few hit, but the Android didn't seem to notice. He punched Superboy, who went crashing into the bleachers again, before saying, "Martian Manhunter." Lilith continued firing, hoping to catch Android while he was density-shifting. Robin threw several more disks, but Android simply lengthened his arm and swatted them away.

"Superman," Lilith heard Android say, and she saw he had Kid Flash in his arms. She quickly grabbed another gun.

Suddenly, the sound of an arrow whistling through the air reached Lilith's ears, and she whipped her head around to search for the source as Android said, "Martian Manhunter." Kid Flash fell through the android's arms and dashed away. "Access Black Canary," Android said, turning as Superboy came charging at him. Android grabbed Superboy's arm in the same fashion Black Canary had just that morning and sent him flying through the air.

"Analyzing." Lilith whipped her head around and realized that Superboy had crashed right below her, and that while she had been reloading her gun, Android had caught sight of her.

"Analyze this!" Robin yelled and he threw a disk, trying to get his attention. It missed by a mile, but it did the trick: Android turned to Robin and said, "Superman." His eyes began to glow red, and Kid Flash dashed forward to knock Robin out of the way. Android turned back to where Lilith had been last, but she had slipped away.

Lilith crouched behind the bleachers Superboy had crashed into, and saw a man with two monkeys sitting in the bleachers across the way. She glanced at Superboy and heard him sigh in defeat and say "Access Black Canary." Lilith smiled; he was finally coming around.

"Oh, yawn," the man said, and Lilith turned back to him. "Normally, Amazo would study and mimic your abilities during battle, but what's the point?" he said. "You're all such poor copies of the originals."

Lilith was just about to step forward when Superboy growled, "So everyone keeps saying. It makes me angry!" he finished with a yell. He launched himself over Amazo the Android and Lilith saw where he was aiming. The man yelled in surprise and hurried out of the way. Lilith kept her eyes trained on him and hurried to the opposite side of the gym and then down the length of the bleachers. "Want to see me channel that anger?" she heard Superboy roar.

"Great," Kid Flash said as he and Robin picked themselves off the floor. "He's gone ballistic again." Lilith slowly inched forward so she was even with the first row of seats, and saw the man still on the bleachers, his back to her. She straightened her arm, prepared to fire.

"Maybe not," Robin said, and Lilith knew that the same thing had crossed his mind.

"Amazo, protect your master!" the man shouted desperately. "Priority alpha!" He leapt out of the way again as Superboy launched himself at him.

"Captain Atom," Amazo said, and he raised his hand and blasted Superboy further up the steps.

"Anyone want to play keep-away?" Robin asked as he ran forward. He kicked the man, who had been getting lifted by his monkeys ( _pathetic_ , Lilith thought), and he went flying forward.

"Me, me!" Kid Flash called, rushing behind Amazo. Lilith growled and quickly stepped forward to get a clear shot of the man.

"Access Superman," Amazo said. He stomped his foot and the floor rippled, sending Kid Flash through the air. Lilith growled as the dust picked up obscured her view of the man.

"Martian Manhunter," Amazo said as Robin threw a disk. Superboy landed in front of him and put a fist through his head as Amazo said, "Superman," and solidified around Superboy's fist. His head exploded and Superboy was thrown back.

"Help me disassemble him, now!" Robin commanded, rushing forward.

"Dude, the guy has no head," Kid Flash said, walking toward him and rubbing his arm.

"Don't take any chances!" Aqualad yelled as he and Miss Martian burst through the doors.

Miss Martian flew to Superboy's side. "Superboy, are you alright?" she asked.

"I'm fine," Superboy said, smiling a little. "Feeling the aster," he said with a glance at Robin, and Robin smiled back.

"Hey," Kid Flash said suddenly. "Where's Ivo?"

They heard a strangled yell behind them and they whirled around to find the source of it. They watched as something left Lilith's hand and flashed through the air before embedding itself in the wall: one of Lilith's daggers.

"He's gone," she growled.

* * *

 **Mount Justice  
August 4, 0106 EDT**

"The Amazo Android is in pieces again," Aqualad confirmed, "safely being analyzed at the two separate STAR Labs." The Team stood in the mission room facing Batman, Red Tornado, Green Arrow, Black Canary, and Manhunter.

"But Ivo escaped," Lilith muttered angrily.

"And since he originated the tech, he's arguably more dangerous than the Android," Aqualad concluded.

"Capturing the professor will be a League priority," Black Canary said.

"But we understand your mission encountered… _other_ complications," Manhunter added, crossing his arms.

The Team glanced at each other. _The arrow_ , Lilith thought immediately.

"Complications come with the job," Batman said, stepping forward. "Your ability to handle them has impressed the League."

"The _whole_ League?" Superboy asked skeptically.

"Given time, yes," Batman said. "Kryptonians, as you know, have very hard heads." The smallest smile crossed Superboy's lips. "Of course, there's no shame in asking for help," Batman continued. "That's _why_ the League exists, because there are some problems even we can't handle individually."

"Please," Robin scoffed. " _If_ we needed help, we'd never get the chance to ask." He reached into his belt and pulled out the arrow. "Look familiar?" he said.

"Robin," Lilith whispered. "I already told you, I don't think that's Green Arrow's."

"You were following us!" Robin continued, ignoring her and handing the arrow to Batman. "Babysitting! You still don't trust us!"

Batman passed the arrow to Green Arrow. "We didn't follow you," Batman said evenly as Green Arrow examined the arrow. He pulled out one of his arrows and held it to compare.

"And that's not your arrow," Robin said slowly, the fighting leaving his voice.

"I told you," Lilith said, rubbing her temple. "If you'd actually listened for once…"

"But that means—" Robin said.

"Speedy!" Kid Flash exclaimed happily.

"He has our back," Aqualad said, cracking a smile.

Kid Flash sped forward. "Souvenir!" he declared.

Lilith opened her mouth to point out that Speedy's arrows were red, but she caught the look that passed between Green Arrow and Batman. She tilted her head and stared at Batman, but he gave her the slightest shake of his head. _No_ , he was saying. _Let them believe what they want. The truth will come out. Eventually_.

* * *

 **A/N: Hope you enjoyed. Until next time.**


	6. Infiltrator

**A/N: I own nothing you recognize.**

 **Guest (chapter 5): I had an initial idea for a pairing, but I've decided I want to know who you, the readers, want Lilith paired with. So let me know who you want Lilith shipped with!**

 **Thank you for the reviews, follows, and favs. It always makes my day.**

 **Hope you enjoy this chapter, which is shorter than the previous ones, but oh well.**

* * *

 **Mount Justice  
August 8, 0354 EDT**

"Hey, David, Lisa, James, it's me. I'm going to stay at, uh, my friend's this evening. I'll call you tomorrow when I'm on my way home. Love you."

Lilith set her phone on her bedside table and then crawled beneath the sheets, and she fell asleep immediately.

* * *

Lilith woke a few hours later to someone knocking on her bedroom door.

"Hm, hold on," she said groggily. She felt around blindly for her sunglasses before standing and walking to the door. She opened it to find Robin standing in a plain T-shirt and swimming trunks.

"Uh, M'gann asked me to ask you if you wanted to go with us to the beach," Robin said, rubbing the back of his neck.

Lilith leaned against the doorframe and raised an eyebrow. "I get the feeling _you_ don't want me on the beach."

Robin shrugged. "I dunno."

"Sure you do," Lilith said, the corner of her lip twitching. "Tell M'gann I'll be with you in a few." Without another word, Lilith turned on her heel and closed her door. Three minutes later, she opened her door again and found Robin still standing there.

"Let's go," he said shortly. Lilith raised her eyebrow but didn't respond, just followed him through the Cave and out to the beach.

"Hello, Megan!" M'gann called, stretching out her arms. "We should hit the beach every day!"

"First, a moment of silence for our absent comrade," Robin said, placing his fingertips on his forehead.

"Poor Wally," M'gann said, bowing her head. Lilith glanced behind her and bit her lip to keep from laughing at Superboy's _really?_ face.

"Moment's over!" Robin exclaimed, dropping his towel and running for the beach.

"Weee!" M'gann squealed, running after him and diving in, Superboy following closely behind.

"Do you plan on going in?" Kaldur asked Lilith.

She turned to him and raised an eyebrow. "What happens if I say no?" she tested with a smirk.

"I do…this!" Kaldur exclaimed, and in one motion, he had Lilith slung over his shoulder. Lilith laughed and slapped his back half-heartedly. Once he was knee-deep in the water, he tossed her in. Lilith landed with a splash and disappeared momentarily before popping up again, her sunglasses still perched on her nose. Robin splashed her with water and she stood to her full height, her hands on hips and her mouth open wide in mock shock

"You are so gonna get it!" she exclaimed and she lunged for him. Lilith caught Robin around the waist and pulled him under.

He came up sputtering. Lilith could tell he was trying to glower, but a grin fought its way to his lips. "It's on," he said.

Lilith smirked. "Bring it!"

* * *

"Recognized: Kid Flash, B-0-4."

"The Wall-Man is here!" Wally exclaimed, decked out in his beach gear. "Now let's get this party star—" In his hurry, he tripped over the end of his beach umbrella and fell forward, his things clattering around him. A beach ball bounced its way over to the Team, and Batman narrowed his eyes. "—ted?"

"Wall-Man, huh?" Lilith glanced around to find the new girl with a raised eyebrow and cocked hip. "Oh, I love the uniform," she mocked. "What _exactly_ are your powers?"

"Uh, who's this?" Wally asked, glancing around and noticing everyone was dressed in their uniforms.

"Artemis," the blonde responded. "Your new teammate."

"Kid Flash," Wally said, all suave again. "Never heard of you."

Green Arrow quickly stepped forward. "Uh, she's my new protégé," he said.

"What happened to your old one?" Wally demanded.

"Recognized: Speedy, B-0-7."

"Speak of the devil and he shall appear," Lilith muttered.

"Well for starters, he doesn't go by Speedy anymore," he said. "Call me Red Arrow."

Lilith snorted. "How original."

Red Arrow turned to glare at her. "Still here, I see," he snapped.

"Still bitter, I see," Lilith countered.

"Roy," Green Arrow said, cutting off any more bickering. "You look—"

"Replaceable," Red Arrow cut in with a glare.

"It's not like that," Green Arrow argued. "You told me you were going solo."

"So why waste time finding a sub?" Red Arrow sneered. "Can she even _use_ that bow?"

"Yes, _she_ can," Artemis said, stepping forward so she was right in front of him and tilting her head back so she could look him in the eyes.

"Who are you?" Wally asked loudly.

"I'm his niece," Artemis said just as Green Arrow responded, "She's my niece."

Lilith raised an eyebrow while Robin said, "Another niece?"

"But she is _not_ your replacement," Aqualad told Red Arrow, trying to placate him. "We have always wanted you on the Team," he said, walking forward, "and we have no quota on archers."

"And if we did, you know who we'd pick," Wally said.

"Whatever, Baywatch," Artemis said. Lilith started to laugh and she quickly clamped her hand over her mouth. Artemis shared a smirk with Lilith. "I'm here to stay."

"You came to us for a reason," Aqualad said as Red Arrow turned away from Artemis.

"Yeah," he said, "a reason named Dr. Serling Roquette."

Lilith's eyes widened. "The nanorobotics genius and clatytonics expert at Royal University?"

"The very same," Robin said, pulling up the holographic screens. "The one who vanished two weeks ago."

" _Abducted_ two weeks ago," Red Arrow corrected, "by the League of Shadows."

"Whoa!" Robin gasped. "You want us to rescue her from the Shadows?"

"Hard-core," Wally whispered, fist bumping Robin.

"I already rescued her," Red Arrow said, and Lilith narrowed her eyes at the poorly concealed pride in his voice. "Only one problem," he said. "The Shadows had already coerced her into creating a weapon." He held something in his hand and clicked it. Above his fist appeared images of the object. "Doc calls it the Fog," Red Arrow continued, "comprised of millions of microscopic robots: nanotech infiltrators capable of disintegrating anything in their path—concrete, steel—" He paused. "Flesh, bone." Lilith shuddered at the thought. "But its true purpose isn't mere destruction," Red Arrow said. "It's theft. The infiltrators eat and store raw data from any computer system and deliver the stolen intel to the Shadows, providing them access to weapons, strategic defense, cutting-edge science and tech."

"Perfect for extortion, manipulation, power broking," Artemis said with a sigh, sounding bored. "Yeah, sounds like the Shadows."

"Like you know _anything_ about the Shadows," Wally said, looking unimpressed. Lilith furrowed her brows though. Artemis glanced at Wally with a knowing smirk on her face and Wally exclaimed, "Who are you?!"

"Roquette's working on a virus to render the Fog inert," Red Arrow cut in.

"But if the Shadow's know she can do that…" Robin trialed off.

"They'll target her," Red Arrow finished. "Right now, she's off the grid. I stashed her at the local high school's computer lab."

"You left her alone?" Green Arrow demanded.

"She's safe enough for now," Red Arrow responded defensively.

"Then let's you and I keep her that way," Green Arrow said desperately.

"You and I?" Red Arrow said in disbelief. "Don't you want to take your new protégé?"

Green Arrow stepped forward, but Batman put a hand on his shoulder. "You brought this on the Team," Green Arrow said, not looking at his former student. "It's their mission, which means it's hers now, too."

Red Arrow scoffed. "Then my job's done." He walked stiffly to the transporters.

"Recognized: Speedy—"

"That's _Red Arrow_ , B-0-7," he said sharply. "Update." The transporter whirled to life, and they watched as he disappeared.

* * *

 **Happy Harbor  
August 8, 2159 EDT**

That night, the Team traveled to the school in Miss Martian's Bioship. Lilith took her usual place at the front and didn't partake in the little conversation that floated around the ship, and it wasn't until Miss Martian gently tapped her shoulder that Lilith realized they had landed. Miss Martian and Superboy stayed outside with the Bioship in camouflage mode, and the others quickly filed in.

 _Everyone online?_ came Miss Martian's voice.

 _Ugh,_ Artemis thought. _This is weird._

 _And distracting,_ Dr. Roquette snapped. _Coding a distributive algorithm virus on a kiddie computer with less RAM than a wristwatch is hard enough_ , she thought, her voice rising. _Now I have to hear teen-think in my skull?!_

 _Lady, do you always complain when someone tries to help you?_ Kid Flash asked from his spot by the windows with Robin, sounding annoyed

 _Pot, kettle,_ Artemis said with a shrug, holding her hands out like a scale. _Have you met?_

 _Hey, hey! I do_ not _need attitude from the newbie who drove Red Arrow off the Team_ , Kid Flash threw at her.

 _That is_ so _not on me,_ Artemis said with a glare, jumping off her perch on the table and pointing a finger at Kid Flash.

 _Fate of the world at stake!_ Dr. Roquette snapped.

 _She started it,_ came Kid Flash's juvenile response.

 _Real mature,_ Lilith thought, raising an eyebrow at Kid Flash, who scowled at her and stuck out his tongue. _So not helping your argument._

 _How 'bout I just help Miss Martian and Superboy patrol the perimeter?_ Artemis thought, already walking toward the door.

 _Good idea,_ Aqualad thought as Artemis passed him, his arms crossed.

Once the door closed behind her, Robin turned to Kid Flash. _You might cut her some slack,_ he suggested. _It_ was _her arrow saved your butt against Amazo_ , he added with a smirk.

 _What?_ Kid Flash floundered. _No, that was Speedy's—I mean, Red Arrow's—arrow, right?_ he asked.

 _No-ot so much,_ Robin snickered.

 _Why do you think he calls himself Red Arrow?_ Lilith asked, raising an eyebrow at Kid Flash.

 _Because there's already a Green Arrow?_ Kid Flash guessed.

Lilith sighed and shook her head. _Sure,_ klinac _. Sure._

 _Klinac?_ Kid Flash asked, glancing at Robin, who merely shrugged. _Anyway, still not giving her the satisfaction_ , grumbled immaturely.

 _You know, I can still hear you,_ Artemis thought, and Lilith had no doubt she was glaring.

"Ahh!" Kid Flash groaned out loud, pulling his hair.

At the computer, Dr. Rouette pinched the bridge of her nose. _I couldn't get the Justice League,_ she grumbled.

 _The virus won't be of much use if we cannot find the weapon,_ Aqualad said, walking to stand behind the doctor. _Can you track it?_

 _My utility Fog is not a weapon_ , Dr. Roquette said defensively, turning in her chair to glare at Aqualad. _It's science, brilliant science. And of course I can track it, but I'd have to go online_. Lilith noticed her voice was rising slightly in hysteria. Dr. Roquette turned back to the computer and continued to click away at the keyboard. _Might as well rent a billboard with this address and "Assassinate Me" written in neon_ , she thought, sounding defeated.

Aqualad put a hand on her shoulder. _We will protect you,_ he promised.

After a moment's hesitation, Dr. Roquette tapped a button and an image of the globe appeared on the screen. _Tracking the Fog now,_ she said.

Lilith moved so she could peer at the screen. _It's in Philadelphia_ , she thought.

 _It may not stay there_ , Aqualad warned. _And now that Roquette has appeared on the grid, keep your eyes peeled._

 _Roger,_ Lilith confirmed, turning and standing by the window again.

 _Roger?_ Kid Flash asked, and Lilith rolled her eyes.

 _Forget it,_ she sighed.

 _Like you want us to forget when you say things in different languages?_ Robin asked, raising an eyebrow.

 _Not the time or the place,_ Aqualad scolded, glaring at them. _Stay focused._

 _Mmm…that boy_ , Lilith suddenly heard Artemis purr.

 _Yeah, like that,_ Lilith thought with a smirk.

 _He can hear you,_ Miss Martian snapped. _We can_ all _hear you._

 _Oh, I know_ , Artemis replied.

Aqualad sighed. _Miss Martian, Dr. Roquette has located the Fog_ , he said. _Reconfigure the Bioship so that Robin, Superboy, and Lilith can pursue._

Lilith followed Robin out of the door and they hurried to the front of the school. _Ready_ , Miss Martian thought as they burst through the front doors. They dashed to the Bioship with Superboy right behind them, and the back opened as they approached and then closed once they were through.

"Controls are all yours," Lilith said with a sigh, flopping into her usual seat at the front.

"Sweet," Robin said with a grin. As soon as they took to the air, Lilith sighed in relief. "What are you so happy about?" Robin asked.

"No more telepathy," Lilith groaned. "Gives me a headache."

"It is a much more effective use of communication," Robin argued.

"Yeah," Superboy glowered. " _Very_ effective."

Lilith giggled, and Robin stared at her in shock. "Not used to female attention, are you?" she teased.

"Well, no," Superboy admitted.

Lilith raised an eyebrow at him. "Alright," she said. She turned her seat so she was facing Robin. "What about you?" she asked. "Anyone special back in the real world?"

"Special? No, no one special," Robin said quickly.

"Not even, say, a cute red-head in your grade?" Lilith asked innocently.

"How do you know?!" Robin exclaimed. Lilith threw her head back and laughed. Even Superboy managed a chuckle.

"The same way I know you are a notorious flirt?" Lilith asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah!" Robin yelled.

Lilith turned back to the front, winking at Robin over her shoulder as she did. "I have my ways," she said.

The light mood managed to remain in the ship until they got closer to Philadelphia. As they approached, the mood grew somber.

Finally, Robin radioed Aqualad. "Robin to Aqualad," he called. "We're over Philadelphia. We've located the Shadows' next target," he said, looking at the small hologram floating above his wrist. "STAR Labs."

Lilith gasped. "We're too late," she whispered. Robin and Superboy glanced down and saw the skeleton of a building collapse before their eyes. "It's destroyed," she said. "Totally and completely destroyed."

"The Fog decimated it," Robin informed Aqualad. "This is bad. STAR Labs is cutting-edge science, and now their secrets are in the hands of the enemy." He glanced at Superboy and Lilith. "What's our next move?"

"Rescan for that Fog," Aqualad commanded. "Find it. We're moving the doctor."

"Got it," Robin said as Lilith's fingers flew over the keys. "Robin out."

"Located," Lilith said weakly a few minutes later.

Robin tapped his earpiece. "The next target's…WayneTech facility," he finished with a gasp. "In theory, its systems software could be used to hack the…" He stopped abruptly.

"The what?" Superboy asked, turning to look at Robin, who had taken the controls again.

"Doesn't matter," Robin said quickly. "Wh-what matters is WayneTech operates in twenty-four-hour workforce. We'll never evacuate the building in time!"

They hurried to the back of the ship and it opened.

"It's downloading!" Robin exclaimed, his face illuminated by the hologram. Superboy turned away and locked his eyes on the ground below. Lilith followed his gaze, and saw the back door of a dark grey van slide open to reveal a man in dark red. The man crouched next to the machine Red Arrow had shown them.

"Don't need it!" Superboy said, and he jumped from the ship.

"Superboy!" Robin yelled, rushing to join Lilith at the edge. They watched as a bright red laser shot from the man's mask and hit Superboy as he fell. When Superboy landed with a loud thud on the asphalt, the man turned back to the device and Lilith and Robin saw the Fog flow out.

"No!" Robin yelled. "Grab my neck and hold on!" he told Lilith.

"What?" she exclaimed.

"Do it!" Robin demanded, and Lilith held on. Robin jumped from the ship and shot a suction grapple, swinging them above the street. When they reached the arc of their swing, Robin released the grapple and flipped before shooting it again. They landed in time to see the Fog eat its way through the glass doors, and Robin and Lilith quickly followed.

"What in the—" the security man said as the Fog moved past. They ran past the front desk. "Hey!" the guard exclaimed. "You can't come in here!" He picked up his walkie-talkie. "Unauthorized entry!" he exclaimed.

A siren began to wail and in front of Robin, a barred door slid in front of the hallway.

"WayneTech override: R-G-4!" Robin yelled, and he rolled under the raising gate. Lilith stopped long enough to pull the fire alarm before dashing after Robin.

He ran into the cafeteria and he had to grab Lilith's wrist to pull her in after him. He hurried to the check-out counter and pulled a wire from his glove

"Please be linked to the mainframe, please be linked to the mainframe!" Robin chanted as he scrolled through his holographic screen. "Good," he muttered when the screen he wanted popped up and he began to download the virus. Lilith watched as the monstrous gray cloud above them began to turn red.

Robin turned in time to see the red Fog disappear. "Yes!" he exclaimed. "The infiltrators have been _out_ filtrated." Lilith shook her head but her lip twitched. "Good thinking of the fire alarm," he added, glancing at Lilith.

"Thanks," she said smile.

"We, uh, better get back to the ship," Robin muttered, turning away and walking back to the entrance. Lilith didn't respond, just followed him to the front.

When they reached the parking lot, Superboy had just knocked out the Shadow. "What do we do with him?" he asked as they approached.

"We give him to Batman," Lilith said bluntly. She knelt beside the man and quickly tied him up. Superboy tossed him over his shoulder and the Bioship opened to omit them. Once the Shadow was placed on the floor, the Bioship reconfigured to strap him in, and Robin, Lilith, and Superboy took their seats.

"Robin to Aqualad," Robin radioed as the Bioship took off. "The Fog has been neutralized and we are on our way home."

"Well done," Aqualad responded. "Aqualad out."

* * *

 **Mount Justice  
August 9, 0034 EDT**

When they landed at the Cave, Batman and Green Arrow were waiting for them in the mission room.

"The Fog has been neutralized and Dr. Roquette is safe," Aqualad reported.

"Well done," Batman said with a slight nod. He turned without another word and disappeared.

"Well, kid, I'll see you tomorrow," Green Arrow said to Artemis, and he too turned and left.

Lilith stepped toward Artemis with a smile. "I didn't get a chance to properly welcome you to the Team," she said, holidng out a hand for Artemis to shake.

"Well, you understood my Baywatch reference," Artemis said with a shrug and a smirk. "I like you already."

Lilith glanced at Kid Flash and the two burst into giggles.

"How do you know that reference?" Robin asked. "Isn't that show, like, a billion years old?"

"It was referenced in a show that's only a million years old," Lilith responded with a smirk. Artemis held out her hand for a high-five, and Lilith slapped it solidly.

"Great," Robin grumbled. "Another one."

Artemis yawned widely. "I'd better get home," she said. "I'll see you when I see you." She waved goodbye to the Team and walked to the zeta-beams.

Slowly, the mission room began to empty. Before long, Lilith was the last one in the circle.

"Trying to do some training?"

Lilith gasped and whirled around, her eyes wide. She saw Robin leaning against the doorway, his arms crossed and a smirk on his face. "I thought everyone had left," she said.

"Well, training's not much good if it's alone," Robin said and he stepped into the ring with her.

Lilith raised an eyebrow. "Sure you're ready?" she taunted.

"Bring it," Robin parroted from that morning.

They took fighting stance, and Robin attacked first. He threw a fist which Lilith easily ducked under. She moved around Robin, and he had to turn quickly to keep her in his sight. Robin punched again, and Lilith blocked.

"C'mon," Robin whined. "Aren't you going to fight back at all?"

Lilith didn't respond. Instead, she sent a solid kick to Robin's chest, and he stumbled back. While he was unbalanced, Lilith ducked and swept his feet from under him.

"I want a rematch," Robin grumbled, but he took Lilith's offered hand.

Lilith yawned. "Maybe another time, Bird Brain," she said with a snicker.

"Bird Brain?" Robin gaped. "What about you? You have an owl on your chest."

Lilith glanced down at the little dark purple icon of a screech owl with its wings outstretched that was located where her left breast pocket would be. She shrugged. "Yours is move obvious." She pulled out her phone and began dialing. "Anyway, see you!" Lilith turned and walked to the zeta-tubes. She turned and waved goodbye as she vanished.

* * *

 **A/N: Hope it was satisfactory. Until next time.**


	7. The Ties That Bind

**A/N: I own nothing you recognize.**

 **Short chapter, I know, but I wanted to try my hand at going into Lilith's personal life. Tell me what you think. On that note, I would also like to hear your opinions on who you think Lilith should be paired with. I may or may not go by popular vote, but I would like to know who you think is the best match for her.**

 **Hope you enjoy.**

* * *

 **Gotham City  
August 11, 1336 EDT**

"No missions today?"

Naomi glanced up from her book and pushed her glasses up her nose. "Not yet," she responded before going back to reading.

"You wanna hang today?" James asked, flopping beside Naomi on the couch.

"What did you have in mind?" Naomi asked curiously.

"Whatever you want, baby sis," James said affectionately, reaching out to ruffle her hair.

Naomi swatted his hand away and wrinkled her nose. "I'm only two years younger than you," she argued.

"Yeah, but I'm in college," James said. "So that makes anyone in high school a baby."

"You're going to be a _freshman_ , in college. You haven't even started your first semester," Naomi corrected, raising an eyebrow. "You're a fish-y again!" she exclaimed gleefully.

"I'm still a legal adult," James grumbled.

"Whatever," Naomi said, rolling her eyes. "Sure, let's go!" She sprang up from her spot and sprinted to the front door. "And I'm driving!"

"Not my baby!" James yelled, jumping up from the couch. He swiped the car keys from Naomi and she pouted. "No," he said firmly, closing his eyes and shaking his head like a dog trying to get water out of its ears.

"Fine," Naomi huffed. She scooped up her phone and walked out to James' car.

"So where to, kiddo?" James asked as he climbed into the front seat and started the car.

"Lunch," Naomi said immediately. "I'm starving."

"Have any cravings?" James asked. They pulled out of the driveway and they drove through the streets of Gotham.

"I'm always up for pizza," Naomi said. "We can go to that little pizzeria near Gotham Academy."

"Sounds good," James said, and they headed downtown.

When they reached Marco's Pizzeria, they were seated almost immediately by a young blonde hostess who kept eyeing James. Naomi rolled her eyes once they were seated.

"What?" James asked innocently.

"What is it with the female population?" she said, shaking her head. "It doesn't take much to catch their attention."

"Hey!" James exclaimed, affronted. "Are you saying I'm not good-looking?"

"That's exactly what I'm saying," Naomi said with a laugh. "I find you unattractive because I see you as a brother."

"But if I wasn't your brother," James prompted, "would you date me?"

"What, you'd date a 'baby?'" Naomi asked, raising an eyebrow and repeating his words from earlier.

"Whatever," James grumbled, sipping his water.

"Don't look so hurt," Naomi said, nudging his foot with her own. "You can have any beautiful woman you want, the way they throw themselves at you."

"That's true," James admitted, instantly cheering up.

Naomi shook her head. "Boys," she said.

"Hi, my name is Mary and I'll be your server today." Naomi glanced up and saw another blonde fluttering her eyes at James. "What can I get you today?" she asked.

"The Meaty Medley, please," James said easily.

"Ooh, I love a man who—"

"Please don't finish that sentence," Naomi begged weakly.

Mary the waitress giggled flirtatiously. "And what about you, dearie?"

"I'll have the same," Naomi growled, slapping the menu on the table. Mary giggled again, nervously this time, before scooping up the menus and walking away.

"What's wrong with you?" James asked with a laugh.

"She called me 'dearie!'" Naomi whispered harshly. "She's barely older than me!"

"I call you kiddo all the time," James pointed out.

"Yeah, and I hate it," Naomi said with a scowl.

"Come on, Mimi," James said.

"I hate that name too," she muttered. James raised an eyebrow. "Sorry, sorry," she said. "Your point?"

"We should have some fun," he said. "You're so busy, and eventually school's gonna start…"

Naomi sighed but gave him a reluctant smile. "You're right," she said. "Fun it is."

Mary arrived with their food, and Naomi smirked when she didn't say anything as she placed their pizza before them.

Out of the corner of her eye, Naomi caught the afternoon news.

 _-and the Joker strikes again, this time at City Hall,_ the announcer was saying.

"Do you have to go?" James asked, lowering his voice.

"Nah, it looks like Batman and Robin have this one covered," she said, looking at the screen again to find the Dynamic Duo arrive on the scene. Naomi turned resolutely away from the screen and went back to her pizza.

"So," Naomi said. "What classes are you taking this semester?"

* * *

Half an hour later, they climbed into James' car.

"Now where?" James asked. Naomi opened her mouth to respond when James' cell phone began to ring.

James' face lit up and Naomi groaned, but he didn't hear her. "Hey, baby," James said into the phone.

Naomi sighed and got out of the car. "See you at home," she said as she closed the door. She didn't wait for a response before turning toward home.

She was half way down the street when James caught up to her. "Where are you going?" he asked, catching her elbow and turning her to face him.

"Home," Naomi said bluntly. "I really don't want to be around when you're talking to that…woman."

James sighed. "This again?" he said desperately. "Why don't you like Claire?"

"You know exactly why I don't like her," Naomi said, crossing her arms. "I think she's a mean person."

"That's a weak argument and you know it," James snapped.

Naomi scoffed. "You know I can make a better argument," she said, narrowing her eyes.

James' shoulders sagged in defeat. "I know you can," he said softly. "Look, I have to go."

"Figured," Naomi snorted. "Later, James."

Naomi didn't go home. Instead, she headed to the zeta-tube and teleported to the Cave. When she reached the transporter room, she found it empty. She put on her sunglasses and then began to search for the others.

Lilith finally found M'gann in the kitchen in the early stages of baking cookies.

"Lilith!" M'gann exclaimed happily when she saw her.

"Hey, M'gann," Lilith said with a relieved smile. "Anything I can help you with?" she asked.

"Sure," M'gann said. "You can start by cracking mixing the wet ingredients." Lilith nodded and set to work. A few minutes into it, M'gann broke the peaceful silence and said, "Something's bothering you, isn't it?"

Lilith glanced up from the bowl and sighed. "Yeah, you could say that."

"Anything you want to talk about?" M'gann asked.

"My brother," she grumbled, glaring at the bowl.

"Brother?" M'gann said. "I didn't know you had a brother."

"Yeah," Lilith said with a nod. "Well, not my biological brother," she added. "I live with David Scott, Alan Scott's son, and his wife. James, their son, is like a big brother to me."

"I understand the feeling," M'gann said. "I have many siblings back home."

"Well, normally we get on fine," Lilith said. "But when it comes to his girlfriend…" She trailed off.

"Ah," M'gann said. "So…are you jealous of this girl?"

"Oh, gosh, no," Lilith said quickly. "Like I said, he's like a brother to me. But no, my problem with her is she's an awful person."

"How so?" M'gann asked curiously.

Lilith shrugged. "She's a bully, to put it simply," she said. "She's in the same grade as James, and we went to same school. She picked on everyone she deemed beneath her, she's two-faced, and she was always stepping on others to make herself look good or to make a point."

"Then why is James with her?" M'gann inquired.

"She's never anything but a perfect angel when he's around," Lilith sighed. "He doesn't believe a word I say against her. I think he really loves her."

"How do his parents feel about this girl?" M'gann asked.

"They've seen what's she's like when he's not around," Lilith said. "But of course, they're not going to bad-mouth his girlfriend."

"No need to take your anger out on the cookies," a voice called behind Lilith, and she gasped and whirled around.

"Wally," she sighed. "You startled me."

"And you're going to ruin the cookies!" he exclaimed.

Lilith rolled her eyes. "Sure," she said, and she set the bowl down so M'gann could start putting them on the cookie sheets.

"She's having a bad day," M'gann informed. "Don't tease," she reprimanded.

"Really, M'gann, it's fine," Lilith said with a smile. "I didn't realize until now how much it was bugging me."

"Now that we're waiting for the cookies, what should we do?" M'gann asked.

"Games!" Wally exclaimed.

"What do you suggest?" Kaldur asked, entering the kitchen from the transporter room.

"How about twenty questions?" Robin proposed, stepping in. "I know I have some questions for Lilith."

"That's not a game," Lilith pointed out, raising an eyebrow.

"How about a nice friendly round of Pictionary?" Artemis suggested.

"I'm game," Wally said. Everyone else nodded their consent, and the Team gathered in front of the television. Robin pulled up an interactive hologram, and they split into teams.

Hours later, they were still going strong, and Lilith's team—Artemis and M'gann—were ahead by three games. Artemis and M'gann offered Lilith high-fives as she went to sit back down. She gave Robin a smug smile and he scowled at her.

Artemis let out a yawn. "I'm sorry, Team, but I'm beat. I should get home."

Lilith nodded, fighting her own yawn. "Alright, well, I should head home too."

Slowly, the Team got up and made their way to the zeta-tubes. Robin and Lilith were the last to get in the tubes, and they stepped in together.

"Recognized: Robin, B-0-2; Lilith, B-0-1."

They arrived in the Gotham City zeta point, and Lilith stepped out first.

"See you later," she called over her shoulder, and she headed home.

When she closed the door behind her, she heard the unmistakable sound of Claire's giggles. Naomi groaned and tried sneaking up the stairs, but a few steps up, the wood creaked.

"Hello?" James called out.

"Hi," Naomi responded hesitantly.

"Naomi, it's almost two in the morning!" James whisper-shouted, glaring at Naomi.

She snorted. "You know I can take care of myself," she challenged, raising an eyebrow.

"T-that's beside the point!" James sputtered.

"Oh, then what is the point?" Naomi goaded, narrowing her eyes.

"Just…go to your room!" James exclaimed.

Naomi rolled her eyes and smirked. "Right," she drawled before turning and going up the stairs.

She would have slammed her door shut if David and Lisa hadn't been asleep in the room over. Instead, Naomi settled for screaming in her pillow.

Once Naomi felt she had gotten her feelings out, she got ready for bed and slid between the sheets, falling into an uneasy sleep.

* * *

 **A/N: Hope you enjoyed. Until next time.**


	8. Denial

**A/N: I own nothing you recognize.**

 **Thank you for the reviews, favorites, and follows; it really makes my day.**

 **Comment who you think would be the best pair for Lilith!**

 **killian . rainey: Red Arrow, as we learn at the end of season one, is programmed to want to join the League. He saw her as another hero who could potentially delay his acceptance. And he's a teenage boy; he does stupid things and has irrational thoughts. And he may be slightly suspicious of Lilith, as she just seemingly pops up out of nowhere. I'm still not sure if I'm going to write it so he believes her to be the mole, but I may not since it seems a bit Mary-Sue. I'm still deciding though, so who knows!**

 **Hope you enjoy.**

* * *

 **Mount Justice  
August 19, 1939 EDT**

"Initiate—Combat Training. 3, 2, 1…"

Lilith stood on the outside of the ring with M'gann, Artemis, and Wally to watch Kaldur and Superboy spar.

They ran at each other, Superboy taking the first swing which Kaldur easily ducked. Kaldur jabbed upward toward Superboy's unprotected jaw, but Superboy quickly knocked Kaldur's hand out of the way. A second jab was sent toward Superboy, but he backed away as Kaldur turned on his foot to do a sweeping kick at Superboy's head. Superboy ducked and lunged at Kaldur, who back-flipped away.

Lilith's gaze was torn from the two boys when she heard Artemis say, "Kaldur's, uh, nice, don't you think?" she hinted, glancing at M'gann. "Handsome, commanding. You should _totally_ ask him out," she said, facing M'gann and crossing her arms.

"He's like a big brother to me," M'gann responded, not picking up Artemis's suggestive tone. "But you know who would make _the cutest_ couple?"

"Lilith and Robin?" Artemis asked, raising an eyebrow in Lilith's direction.

Lilith rolled her eyes but laughed a little. "Why would I date someone who doesn't even like me?"

"No, silly," M'gann told Artemis with a laugh. "You and Wally." All three girls glanced at the boy in question in time to see him take a monster bite out of his burrito. "You're so full of passion, and he's so full of, uh—of…"

"It?" Artemis said, raising an eyebrow. The girls laughed.

"Say, Lilith," Artemis said, "why do you and Robin always cover your eyes?" she inquired, gesturing to Lilith's black aviator sunglasses.

"Batman insists Robin keeps his identity a secret," Lilith said. "And me…well, it's how I've lived my whole life."

"Lilith?" Artemis asked, and Lilith understood she was asking about the name.

"It's not a birth name, or even an alias," Lilith said. "Batman and I came up with it when he took me in."

"It must be a tough way to live," Artemis said thoughtfully.

Lilith shrugged. "It keeps the badies from discovering my true identity, and thus protects all the civilians I'm around daily." She paused. "And besides, when you've been doing this for as long as I have, it doesn't seem like much of a hassle."

Lilith looked up in time to see Superboy and Kaldur lock arms around each other. Supeboy kicked Kaldur's heel and lifted him up and over his shoulder. Kaldur landed with a thump and the automated voice said, "Fail—Aqualad."

Superboy straightened and wiped his hands together. "Black Canary taught me thought," he said with a pleased smile.

"I'm glad you've come around," Lilith said, stepping into the ring. "It's really helped you." Superboy smiled at Lilith and then held out a hand for Kaldur as Red Tornado came down from the ceiling.

He started walking away from them when Wally rushed over and said, "Do you have a mission for us?"

"Mission assignments are the Batman's responsibility," Red Tornado said.

"Yeah, well, the Batman's with the Robin doing the Dynamic Duo thing in Gotham, but _you're_ headed somewhere, right?" Wally said. "Hot date or a—a _misión_?"

"If we _can_ be of help," Kaldur said, trying to make up for Wally's lack of tact.

Red Tornado turned and pulled up the keyboard. An image appeared of an older gentleman dressed smartly in a dark three-piece suit with a dark brown cane with a golden head. "This is Kent Nelson, a friend," Red Tornado said. "He is one-hundred-and-six-years-old—"

"Guy doesn't look a day over ninety," Lilith heard Wally whisper behind his hand to Artemis.

"—and he has been missing for twenty-three days," Red Tornado continued. "Kent was a charter member of the Justice Society, the precursor to your mentors' Justice League." The image of Kent pixilated until it showed a gold-helmed man wearing a dark blue bodysuit with a thick gold collar and belt, gold boots and gloves, and a gold cape.

"Of course," Kaldur said, stepping forward. "Nelson was Earth's sorcerer supreme."

"He was Doctor Fate," Lilith said, gazing at the picture.

Behind her, Wally scoffed. "More like Doctor _Fake_." Lilith glanced behind her. "Guy knows a little advanced science and 'Dumbledore's' it up to scare the bad guys and impressed the babes."

"At least you're reading good books," Lilith said, raising an eyebrow.

"Hey, are you knocking _Harry Potter_?" Wally asked.

"No," Lilith responded, turning to face the front again. "But I think you are."

"Kent may simply be on one of his walkabouts," Red Tornado said, turning to the Team. "But he is caretaker to the Helmet of Fate, the source of the Doctor's Mystic Might, and it is unwise to leave such power unguarded."

"He is like the great sorcerer priests and priestesses of Mars," M'gann spoke up in awe. "I would be honored to help find him."

Instantly, Wally's hand shot up. "Me too!" he exclaimed. "So-o honored, I can barely stand it. Magic rocks."

"Oh, really?" Lilith muttered, crossing her arms and glaring at Wally. She glanced back at Artemis, who just shook her head.

"Take this," Red Tornado said, holding up a golden key. "It is the key to the Tower of Fate." Kaldur stepped up and took it.

"What are the chances we both _so_ admire the mystic arts?" Wally asked in a _wow-what-a-strange-coinidink_ tone, glancing at M'gann.

"Let's go," Kaldur said firmly.

* * *

 **Salem  
August 19, 2021 EDT**

Once they were in the air and in camouflage mode, Artemis said, " _So,_ Wally, when did you first realize your _honest affinity_ for sorcery?"

"Well, I-I don't like to brag, but, uh, before I became Kid Flash," he said, putting his hands behind his head and looking back at M'gann, "I _seriously_ considered becoming a wizard myself." Artemis's eyes rolled back as Lilith snorted.

"We've reached Tornado's coordinates, but—" M'gann started.

"Nothing's there," Superboy finished, looking out the window.

Lilith looked down and saw he was right. To their left were old buildings that looked to be abandoned, and to their right was an empty field.

"Take us down," Kaldur directed. Lilith's eyes snapped up, and she saw a mangy-looking orange and white cat with strange black markings on its face. Lilith narrowed her eyes; there was something strange about this cat….Its strange red eyes narrowed as the Team landed, and Lilith watched as it turned and ran away.

"Lilith, come on," Artemis said, and Lilith quickly stood and followed the others off the ship.

They walked to the field, and they began walking the entire span of it, trying in vain to find the Tower.

"Nothing," Wally grumbled, running up to Artemis and Lilith. "This isn't simple camouflage," he pondered.

"So, what do you think?" Artemis asked. "Adaptive micro-opto-electronics combined with phase shifting?" she challenged.

"Absolutely…" Wally started, sounding impressed, "not," he quickly finished as M'gann approached them. "Clearly, mystic powers are at work here."

"First time you said something right tonight," Lilith smirked. A strange static started again in her head, and Lilith glanced over her shoulder but saw nothing. She frowned but turned back to the others.

"A test of faith," Kaldur said. Lilith looked at him and saw him looking at the key. "Stand behind me," he said, walking in front of them. They watched him walk forward and insert the key in midair. The key disappeared, and the sound of a lock clicking echoed. Suddenly, the Tower of Fate appeared before them, and Lilith ad to crane her neck to see the top. There were no windows and no decorations. She looked behind her and saw the shared look of shock on Artemis and Wally's faces, M'gann's cool interest, and Superboy's usual pinched eyebrows. Kaldur pushed the door opened, and they followed after him.

"Wait, the key!" Lilith exclaimed as the door slammed shut behind them. The Team whirled around, but the door had vanished.

"Uh, where'd the door go?" Superboy asked nervously.

An image appeared before them, and Lilith saw a holograph of Kent Nelson. "Greetings," it said. "You have entered with a key, but the Tower does not recognize you. Please state your purpose and intent."

Lilith watched Wally glanced at M'gann and she lunged forward to clap her hand over his mouth, but it was too late. "We are true believers," Wally said loudly, stepping forward and spreading his arms wide as if to preach to an audience, "here to find Doctor Fate."

Kent's holograph raised its eyebrows slightly in a _Is-this-kid-kidding?_ way, and Lilith wanted to strangle Wally. The holograph disappeared, and Wally's face fell.

For a moment, nothing happened and Lilith dared to let out a sigh of relief. Suddenly, the floor began to shake beneath them, and with a deafening crack, the floorboards beneath their feet collapsed, taking them into a lava-filled pit.

Instantly, Lilith's hand flew to her grapple gun, and she quickly turned and shot. She felt it hold on, and she braced her feet against the side of the pit, slowing her descent. Below her, she saw Artemis pull out a mini-crossbow and grab Kaldur as he fell past her. M'gann grabbed Wally, and Superboy clawed at the rocks with his bare hands. Lilith heard him yell in pain as his feet slipped into the lava, and he quickly pulled up his legs. Lilith began to lower herself so she was even with Artemis.

"Those were my favorite boots," she heard him growl. "This Nelson guy better be worth it."

"Having trouble…maintaining altitude," M'gann panted, and Lilith saw that she seemed to momentarily fall before haltingly catching herself. "I'm so hot," she said, wiping the sweat that had quickly gathered on her face.

"You certainly are," Wally flirted.

"Wally!" Artemis yelled from beside Lilith, glaring at him over her shoulder.

"Hey, inches above sizzling death!" Wally shouted back. "I'm entitled to speak my mind!"

"My physiology and M'gann's are susceptible to extreme heat," Kaldur said, sounding faint. "We must climb out quickly."

"Hello, Megan," M'gann said, feet above the lava. "We never truly answered the question."

"Great deduction," Lilith yelled. "Does anyone _know_ the answer?"

"Red Tornado sent us," M'gann called out, "to see if Mr. Nelson and the Helmet were safe!"

Instantly, a floor slid over the lava and the temperature seemed to drop a couple dozen degrees. Superboy dropped to the floor, and M'gann collapsed, pulling Wally with her. Artemis and Lilith slowly lowered themselves to the ground, and Lilith released the grapple, which came reeling back in place.

"This platform," Kaldur said in surprise. "It should be red-hot, but it is cool to the touch."

"Don't worry," Megalicious," Wally said breathlessly, putting an arm around M'gann's shoulders. "I got you."

Lilith snorted. "Yeah, _you_ were the one saving her from the lava."

"Enough!" Artemis cut in before Wally could respond. She stepped forward and shoved Wally hard in the chest. "Your little _impress-M'gann-at-all-costs_ game nearly got us all barbecued!"

"When did this become _my_ fault?" Wally demanded.

"When you _lied_ to that, whatever it was, and called yourself a _true believer_ ," Artemis snapped.

"Wally, you don't believe?" M'gann asked, sounding like it was the first time she had discovered someone had lied to her face, which Lilith supposed was a possibility when everyone on Mars communicated telepathically.

Wally looked from Artemis to M'gann. "Fine, fine!" he exclaimed. "I lied about believing in magic. But magic is the real lie, a major load!" he said, crossing his arms and glaring at the floor like a child defending his actions to an accusing adult.

"Wally, I studied for a year at the Conservatory of Sorcery in Atlantis," Kaldur said, still kneeling and touching the floor. He looked up. "The mystic arts created the skin icons that power my water-bearers."

"Dude, you ever hear of _bioelectricity_?" Wally asked. "Hey, in primitive cultures, _fire_ was once considered magical too! Today, it's all just a bunch of tricks."

"You're pretty closed-minded for a guy who can break the sound barriers in his sneakers," Artemis accused.

"That's _science_ ," Wally defended. "I recreated Flash's laboratory experiment, and here I am! _Everything_ can explained _by science_."

"Let's test that theory, shall we?" Lilith asked innocently, standing by Kaldur with her boot tapping a door handle that had appeared on the floor. She leaned down and grasped it.

"Wait!" Wally exclaimed. "The back-draft from the lava will roast us alive!"

Lilith raised an eyebrow and lifted the door. A gust of air hit them, and white flakes drifted into the chamber.

"It's snow," M'gann said, raising her hand and waving it around the cloud of puffs.

"Do you _ever_ get tired of being wrong?" Artemis goaded.

As Lilith jumped down through the door, she felt gravity shift so that by the time her body was through, she was landing on her feet, looking at the others as they peered down at her. Wally was the last tone through, and once he was on his feet, the opening glowed and vanished.

"Well?" Artemis asked, looking pointedly at Wally.

"Ever hear of String Theory?" he said immediately. "We're in a pocket dimension," he explained.

"Ahh!" Artemis yelled in frustration, glaring at him.

M'gann turned and asked, "What's that?" Floating in front of them was the cane Lilith had seen in Red Tornado's image of Kent Nelson.

"Ooh, maybe it's Nelson's magic wand," Wally said sarcastically as Artemis approached it.

Wally and Artemis reached out at the same time and their hands closed around the cane, each exclaiming "I got it!" as they did.

"Why don't you let Wally take it, Artemis," Lilith said, raising an eyebrow. "After all, he is a _true believer_."

Suddenly, the cane started glowing.

"Ahh, I can't let go," they said again. The cane started to rise, taking the pair with it, and in a flash, they were gone.

Lilith stared wide-eyed at the others, who were looking at her in equal shock.

"We better try to find a way out," Kaldur said eventually. With no better idea, they started walking.

"I don't understand Wally," M'gann said as they walked aimlessly through the snow. "It's almost like he _needs_ to believe the impossible _can't_ happen."

"Wally uses his understanding of science to control what he cannot comprehend," Kaldur explained. "Acknowledging the existence of magic would be to relinquish the last vestige of that control."

Ahead of them, Lilith heard a snap and a crack, and when she glanced up, she saw a door. Lilith glanced at the others and they hurried through it.

Superboy went first and then Kaldur, which turned out to be a good thing: as Lilith stepped through, she felt her body being tugged straight down, and she landed with a thud on top of them.

"Oh, I'm so sorry," she groaned as she rolled off them stiffly. Above them, M'gann slowly flew down.

"Friends of yours?" Lilith glanced up and saw Kent Nelson and Wally looking at them.

"Look out!" Lilith suddenly exclaimed and she lunged forward to knock both of them down. Above their heads whizzed a bolt of electricity, and Lilith glanced up.

"Friends of _yours_?" Wally asked, looking at a man in a white button-up that wasn't buttoned at all, and a boy in a dark suit with the same cat Lilith had seen outside in the field. The three scrambled to their feet as the man pointed his stick at them again, and the others dodged out of the way.

Mr. Nelson stood and rapped on a giant gold bell with his cane. It rang out crisply and began to glow. He stepped through it easily, and Wally followed him, both disappearing from sight. Lilith watched as the boy flew through before the bell stopped glowing.

"Now what?" Lilith exclaimed as she dodged another bolt.

"We take out Abra Kadabra!" Artemis called.

Lilith paused. "Really," she said, straight-faced. "That's his name?"

"We can discuss how ridiculous his name is after he's unconscious!" Superboy yelled, pulling Lilith down to avoid another bolt.

"Thanks," Lilith said breathlessly, glancing around for the magician. Superboy didn't respond, just launched himself at Abra. He dodged out of the way and once Superboy was on his feet, he pointed his stick at him and an electric net forced Superboy to his hands and knees. Kaldur rushed toward Abra, but was met with the same result. Lilith and Artemis started shooting at him, but Abra pointed at Artemis and she collapsed with a yell of pain. Lilith ducked out of the way as he turned to her, but he easily followed her and quickly had her trapped.

Lilith found that as long as she stayed still, she felt no pain. But as she moved to stand, a searing pain spread through her body and she collapsed with a groan. She heard M'gann yell out, and Lilith knew she had been trapped too.

Glancing around her, Lilith saw everyone was too absorbed in the pain. She gritted her teeth and yelled, "You think this can hold me?"

"I can see it doing a rather good job now," Abra responded, sounding bored.

Lilth grunted and screwed her eyes shut in concentration. _Breath_ , she told herself. _Fade it out. Distance yourself_. Slowly, she opened her eyes and started to rise.

Abra laughed. "I know what you are trying to do, and while your mind may not feel the pain, your body certainly does, and everyone has their limits."

Lilith made it to her knees before her mental block shredded, and she screamed as all the pain came rushing back. She collapsed, and the world faded.

* * *

 **Mount Justice  
August 20, 0400 EDT**

"Batman said he will stop by with Robin for a debrief," Red Tornado informed the Team once exited the Bioship.

"How do you think he'll take it when we tell him one of us is still unconscious?" Wally muttered to Artemis, and both glanced back at Kaldur who was just setting Lilith down on one of the couches in front of the large television.

They arrived in the mission room just as the zeta tube announced, "Recognized: Robin, B-0-2; Batman, 0-2."

"Guess we'll find out," Artemis said slowly.

"Well?" Batman asked, standing in front of them.

Kaldur stepped forward. "The Helmet is safe and out of Klarion's hands. It is currently in our possession."

"And your team?" Batman asked, his eyes narrowing slightly at the sight of a missing body.

They glanced at each other. "Abra Kadabra trapped us in these energy nets and I guess Lilith tried to escape but too much electricity went through her and now she's unconscious and we can't wake her up but she's alive and breathing, well barely," M'gann said finally in a rush.

"Where is she now?" Batman demanded.

"I put her in front of the television," Kaldur said. "Her room would not let anyone in."

Batman left with a swish of his cape and Robin stalked up to the Team. "I'm gone one day and someone gets hurt?"

"Hey, the outcome would've been the same even if you had been there," Wally snapped. "Don't be angry at us, be angry at Lilith for thinking she could escape those net thingies."

"You weren't even with us," Artemis said, putting her hands on her hips. "You don't know anything."

"Well, did _you_ see what happened?" Wally challenged.

"I recall Abra saying something about knowing what she was trying to do," Kaldur said slowly. "And that her mind may not feel the pain, but her body still did. She screamed and that must have been when she became unconscious."

"What does that even mean?" Wally exclaimed, throwing his hands in the air.

Robin tapped his chin thoughtfully. "I've read about people who can block pain," he said slowly. "They train to lock down the part of their brain that recognizes and perceives pain, and it allows them to carry on without stopping. But it's extremely difficult to master, and even then, it's not fool-proof."

"What do you mean?" M'gann asked.

"When they release their mind from that numb state, their brain read the signals their nerves had been trying to send them." They whirled around and saw Lilith limping toward them. "In the end, the pain is always worse than if they had felt the pain in the first place."

"And the pain was too much for you," Kaldur summarized.

"Lilith!" M'gann exclaimed worriedly. "I was so worried!"

Lilith gave her a small grimace. "I'm fine," she said as M'gann gingerly wrapped her arms around her.

"I was going to miss my twin," Artemis joked weakly, and Lilith laughed.

"Lilith, you'd better get to bed," Batman said from behind her. "I will notify David and Lisa you are staying the night and possibly the next day."

Lilith nodded. "Thanks," she said. Batman tipped his head in acknowledgement before turning and disappearing in the tubes. Lilith turned to the Team. "I'll see you later," she said before turning and walking down the hall.

She stopped when she felt a hand hesitantly touch her elbow. Lilith turned around and saw Robin staring at his boots.

"I, uh, would have been sad if anything had happened to you," he said.

Lilith reached forward and put her hand on his shoulder. Robin's gaze snapped up and he saw Lilith giving him a small smile. "Back at you, Bird Brain."

Robin smiled back and said, "I'll let you sleep." He hesitated, as though unsure if he should say or do anything else, before ducking his head and hurrying back the way he came.

* * *

 **A/N:** **If you have any questions for me or about Lilith, don't hesitate to ask! I will do my best to respond to all of them when I post new chapters.**

 **Anyway, hope you enjoyed and until next time.**


	9. Downtime

**A/N: I own nothing you recognize.**

 **Guest (chapter 8): Thanks so much :) I'm really glad you liked it. As for Lilith's age, she turned sixteen that year. Fun Fact: Her birthday is March 17.**

 **killian . rainey: Lilith is a very good fighter. As a non-powered hero, she was trained with that in mind and as a result, is skilled at hand-to-hand combat. Her real parents? That's a backstory I'm planning for later, so if you can bear with me! I'm working on adding little hints to Lilith's past in the chapters to come, so hopefully those'll be satisfactory :)**

 **Hope you enjoy this chapter.**

* * *

 **Gotham City  
August 27, 0617 EDT**

Lilith glanced up in time to see Aqualad go flying into the back wall. She tried to get to her feet, but her arms shook and gave way beneath her. All around her, the others were already down, and like her, covered in clay.

Clayface laughed and roared, lifting his arm and changing his hand into a spiked hammer when the glass sunroof crashed inward, and Batman came sailing in. He threw two disks, which caused Clayface's arm to explode. Batman landed lightly and leapt back as Clayface went to punch where he had been crouched. Batman reached under his cape and shot a gun that extended two cables that electrocuted Clayface. With a final roar, he melted.

Once the Team was on its feet again, Batman said, "Cave. Now." Everyone hung their heads as they walked out of the warehouse and to the transporter.

"We are in so much trouble…" Kid Flash groaned.

"I am so dead," Robin moaned.

"Keep the noise level down," Lilith whispered, wincing and holding her head. "I feel like my head is going to split open."

"You will all receive a report on your performances," Batman started as the Team appeared. "Now, I need to talk to Aqualad." Lilith glanced around and saw everyone looked hesitant as well. "The rest of you, hit the showers and head home."

"Head home?" Superboy said as he turned and walked away. "I _am_ home."

"Don't be so grouchy, Pouty Boy," Lilith laughed weakly, giving him a little shove. Superboy glanced back and managed a small smile.

Lilith started walking forward when she heard Batman say, " _Just_ Aqualad." She glanced back in time to see Aqualad and Robin look at each other, Robin with a _what-are-you-doing-alone-with-_ my _-mentor_ look on his face before he turned and followed Lilith.

"Wh—" he started to say when he noticed Lilith stop once she was out of sight. She quickly put her finger to her lips and tilted her head. "Oh," Robin mouthed, and grinned. He stood next to Lilith as they listened in.

"I am sorry you had to intervene," they heard Aqualad say. "I know the Team performed poorly—"

"The Team performed adequately," Batman cut in. "The problem," Batman continued, "was _you_. You're their leader and your head wasn't in the game."

"No, you are…" Aqualad started to say. Then he sighed. "Uh…correct," he mumbled. "Of late, I am not even convinced I _belong_ on the surface world. For so many years it filled my every thought. But now that I am here…" He paused. "My dreams are all Atlantis."

"Atlantis?" Batman asked. "Or someone you left behind? You can split your time between the surface and the sea, but not your mind," Batman said. "Either you're here one hundred percent, or you need to walk away." Lilith and Robin glanced at each other, noticing the sharp tone Batman's voice was taking. "Make a decision, Kaldur. And make it soon." With that, Batman walked away, but Lilith and Robin hurried away.

They froze when they heard Batman say, "Where do you think you're going?" They slowly turned around.

"We didn't mean to—" Lilith started.

"She started it!" Robin exclaimed, pointing a finger at her. Lilith whipped her head around, her mouth open.

"Ah!" she gasped.

"It doesn't matter," Batman said. "You heard it, and I don't want you telling the rest of the Team."

"Why would we?" Robin asked.

Batman paused. "I don't want the Team thinking they can't trust their leader to lead them sufficiently."

"We'd never think that," Lilith spoke up immediately. "We all think Kaldur is great…" She trailed off when she saw the look Batman was giving her. "…And I suppose, yes, he has seemed distracted lately."

"So for now, speak of this to no one," Batman commanded. Robin and Lilith nodded, and Batman walked away.

Lilith headed to the showers when Robin reached out and grabbed her hand, stopping her from walking further.

"So, what were you thinking about doing?" he asked. Lilith glanced down at his hand, which still clasped hers, and Robin quickly dropped it. "I-I mean, since, you know, we don't have a mission," he said, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Well, I was going to have a shower and do some solo training," Lilith responded.

"All day?" Robin joked.

Lilith laughed. "No, just until I got bored."

"Um, since you've been to the Batcave, you could come back for a visit," Robin said hesitantly. "We could, you know, train together."

Lilith's lip twitched as she tried to keep from smiling at his uncertainty. "Alright, Bird Brain," she said. "I'll meet you there."

"Cool," Robin said, and grin spread across his face. "See you in a bit."

"See you," Lilith said before turning and walking away.

"Hey, Lilith!" Lilith turned and saw Wally hurrying toward her, his hair still dripping from his recent shower.

"What's up?" Lilith asked, pausing.

"So, we have the rest of the day off…" He trailed off and waggled his eyebrows.

Lilith rolled her eyes and laughed. "You never give up, do you?" she asked rhetorically.

"Not for you, babe," Wally replied with a wink.

"You know you're just beating a dead horse, right?" Lilith said, continuing to the showers. "And besides, don't you think it's a little inappropriate to be hitting on two girls when you so clearly like a third?"

"I don't know what you're talking about," Wally said, and Lilith could tell he was being serious.

"Look, Wally," Lilith said. "I think you're a great person," she started. "But I'm not looking for a relationship."

"Don't knock it 'til you try it," Wally said with a shrug. "I'll see you around."

"Bye, Wally," Lilith said with a little laugh and continued on her way. _Boys_ , she thought.

She saw Artemis coming toward her, showered and changed. Lilith waved and Artemis smiled back before heading to the zeta-beam transports. As Lilith passed the kitchen, she glanced in and saw Superboy sitting in front of the large flat-screen TV, which wasn't receiving a signal, and M'gann looking at a cookbook in the kitchen.

"Want to help me with dinner?" M'gann asked as she caught sight of Lilith.

"Sorry, I'm planning on going out once I've de-Clayed," she said apologetically.

"No problem!" M'gann said lightly. "Maybe I can get Superboy to help."

"Good luck," Lilith aid, not in an unfriendly way, before waving goodbye and stepping into the now-empty girls' showers.

 _Finally_ , she thought. _Peace and quiet._

* * *

 **Gotham City  
August 27, 2004 EDT**

 _Knock, knock, knock._

Alfred opened the front door to find a girl in black yoga pants, a zipped-up black hoodie with the hood pulled over her head, and sneakers standing on the porch. She lifted her head, and in the shadow of her hood, Alfred could just make out the gleam of her eye.

"Ah, Miss Na—" Alfred started.

"Shh!" the girl shushed quickly, glancing around.

Alfred laughed. "It is quite alright, Miss Lilith," he said, though he emphasized the use of her hero name. "No one else is around."

Lilith stepped forward and lowered her hood. "It's good to see you again, Alfred."

"And you too, my dear," Alfred responded with a warm smile. "What took you so long to come around?"

Lilith blushed. "It got busy at the Cave," she said lamely.

"I tease," Alfred said, nudging Lilith's shoulder. Lilith scowled, but a smile fought its way to her lips. "Are you asking for Master Dick?"

"Yeah, I told him I'd come by," Lilith explained.

"He is in the gymnasium," Alfred said.

"Thanks," Lilith said with a smile. "I remember my way." She waved good-bye over her shoulder and walked away.

When she reached the gym, she slowly opened the door and watched Richard Grayson on the hoops. He swung himself around a few times before releasing and flipping before grabbing hold again with a grunt. He flipped himself upside down and slowly lowered himself so he was parallel to the floor and his arms were straight out. He lowered himself futher so his body made a T, and Lilith heard him grunt, "Just Aqualad." He raised himself so he was upside down again and then released and flipped, turning once in the air and landing unsteadily on one foot on a black circular cylinder, and he fell backward. He quickly landed on his hands and did a handspring out of the tumble. His back hit the wall with a thud and he whirled around and punched a dent in the wall.

"Who knew such a skinny boy like yourself could crack a stone wall."

Robin turned sharply and saw a girl clad in black leaning against the closed doors. She lowered her hood, and Robin said, "Lilith."

"I told you I would stop by," she said.

"You didn't tell me you would be so late," he grumbled.

"I never specified a time," she countered, raising an eyebrow. She sighed and stuffed her hands in the jacket pockets when Robin didn't respond. "That unsteady landing and punch to the wall isn't all because I almost stood you up, was it?" Robin scowled and Lilith frowned. "What's up?" she asked, walking over to him and handing him a water bottle.

"Thanks," he muttered and then fell silent again.

"You know, if you ever need someone to talk to, you can always come to me," Lilith said softly. Robin glanced up at her. "I've been told I can keep a secret pretty well."

"By whom?" Robin mumbled, glaring at the water bottle. "Your past?"

Lilith sighed. "My past is my business, and I believe that my past should be left there," she said quietly.

"Something awful must have happened," Robin mused.

Lilith gave a short, humorless laugh. "That's putting it mildly." She sighed and turned to Robin. "I will tell you, eventually," she promised. "And I always keep my promises."

Robin nodded. "Wait!" he suddenly exclaimed. "You're still wearing your mask!"

"And?" Lilith asked, raising an eyebrow and smirking.

"I'm not wearing mine!" he said.

"Tell you what, Wonder Boy," Lilith said with a laugh. "If you beat me in hand-to-hand combat, I'll take off my mask."

"Really?" Robin marveled.

"Cross my heart," Lilith said solemnly.

"You're on," Robin replied with a grin. He stood and walked to a large blue mat laid out in the center of the room. He turned back and saw Lilth had taken off her jacket to reveal a plain white no-sleeve top with a high neck that was form fitted and short.

As soon as Lilith stepped on the mat, Robin pounced. Lilith ducked and Robin landed behind her. Lilith whirled around and blocked his foot before it met the side of her face. His fist flew toward her and she rolled out of the way, coming to a stop in a crouch. She swung her leg around to knock him off his feet, but he jumped back. Lilith sprang at him and caught him around the waist. They fell to the mat, and Robin quickly grabbed Lilith's wrists and rolled them over so he was hovering over her. Lilith pulled her knees to her chest and went to kick him back, but Robin saw that coming and quickly released her. Lilith rolled back on her shoulders and pushed herself to her feet. Robin threw a few more jabs which Lilith easily blocked before Lilith started throwing some hits herself. Robin blocked the first two, but the third caught him in the stomach and he doubled over, wheezing.

"I'm so sorry!" Lilith exclaimed, reaching out to touch his shoulders. Robin glanced up with a wicked gleam in his eyes and dropped into a crouch and knocked Lilith off her feet. She hit the mat with a thud and Robin quickly straddled her waist to pin down her arms and keep her legs from being able to knock him back.

"That was cheating," Lilith gasped, her chest rising and falling quickly as she sucked in air.

"I never said I'd play fairly," Robin said with a smirk.

"I demand a rematch!" Lilith declared.

"This was our rematch," Robin reminded her, raising an eyebrow.

" _Vitleysa_ ," Lilith muttered under her breath. "Fine, fine," she groaned.

Slowly, Robin released her wrists and when he saw she wasn't going to make a move to dislodge him, he reached down to lift her mask.

At the door, a throat cleared.

Robin jumped up so quickly it looked as if he had been shocked, and Lilith sat up and turned around to see who was there.

"Master Bruce wishes to see you, Master Dick," Alfred said, looking unfazed by what he might have seen.

Robin turned and started to walk toward the door. Lilith stood and bent down to retrieve her jacket. She slipped it on and zipped it up.

"I'll see you tomorrow, yeah?" she asked Robin softly.

"Yeah," Robin said, glancing back briefly before turning and walking through the door Alfred held open.

"I'll let myself out," Lilith told Alfred.

"It's been a pleasure to see you again, dear," Alfred said, wrapping his arm around Lilith's shoulders.

"You too, Alfred," Lilith whispered. "You too."

* * *

 **Mount Justice  
September 3, 1704 EDT**

Lilith appeared at the Cave and followed her nose to the kitchen. The rest of the Team, minus Aqualad, was standing around in their gear, laughing.

"Lilith!" M'gann called happily when she caught sight of her. "You're just in time for cookies!"

"Yum," Lilith sighed with a smile. "I was called to the Cave before I could have any dessert. And believe me," she grumbled, "David's apple pie is something you don't want to miss."

"But it's only five," Robin pointed out.

"Is it ever too early for pie?" Lilith asked with a smirk.

"Amen to that," Wally said, licking his lips.

The timer dinged and M'gann pulled out the pan. "Careful, Superboy!" M'gann warned as Superboy snagged a cookie. "They're hot."

Wally whizzed past, snatching the cookie from Superboy, who scowled at the brightly-dressed boy. "Not as hot as you, babe," Wally said with a grin at M'gann.

"Thanks, Wally," M'gann said slowly as Wally popped the cookie in his mouth. "That's, uh, sweet."

"Not as sweet as you, sugar," Wally said cheekily as he swallowed the cookie.

"Give it a rest," Lilith laughed as Artemis snapped "Oh, grow up!" while casually smacking the back of Wally's head before calmly reaching for a cookie.

"Ow!" Wally grumbled, rubbing the back of his head.

Lilith snagged a cookie and passed on to Robin just as Batman's voice sounded from the Cave-wide speakers. "Team, report to the mission room."

"Just in time for your next mission," Lilith caught Batman saying.

"You're back," Robin said, looking at Kaldur.

Lilith offered Kaldur a smile and put a hand on his arm. "I knew you would be."

Kaldur gave Lilith a small smile in return as Batman started talking. "The Watchtower detected an immense power surge in the Bialyan desert."

After a quick discussion of what needed to happen, Batman released them for the night. Robin turned around immediately, and Lilith quickly caught up to him.

"Hey," she said, catching his elbow. Robin glanced back at her.

"You're not mad at me for anything, are you?" Lilith asked.

"No," Robin said shortly. "Why would I?"

"Because I almost stood you up a few days ago?" she said.

Robin opened his mouth to reply but closed it again with a sigh. The fight seemed to leave him. "No," he said, and this time, Lilith believed him.

"Good," she said with a smile. "See you tomorrow." She turned around and headed for the zeta-tubes, leaving Robin to ponder what had just happened.

* * *

 **A/N: Hope you enjoyed :)**

 **Also, let me know who you think would be the best match for Lilith!**

 **Until next time.**


	10. Bereft

**A/N: I own nothing you recognize.**

 **killian . rainey: I actually did some research, and the daggers that I envisioned Lilith using are called Arkansas Toothpicks (no joke, you can look it up). The blades of both are 12 inches, and each has a sheath at her left hip. As for Abra knowing she could block pain, I imagined him deducing since she was the only one who was able to move beneath the nets.**

 **Thank you for everyone who has followed, favorited, and commented! For those who commented and told me who you think is Lilith's best match, I am taking those into consideration as I write.**

 **If you haven't already, tell me who you think Lilith should be paired with!**

* * *

 **Bialya  
September 4, 1200 EEST**

 _Why is it so sunny? And why am I on the ground?_ Lilith stirred and groaned as she felt her body protest. She heard someone stir beside her, and she gasped and turned around.

Next to her, just waking as well, was a boy a few years younger than herself. He was small with a lean build and dressed in black leggings and a red vest. A utility belt was strapped around his waist, and he wore black gloves, boots, and a cape with a simple eye-mask similar to her own.

His eyes flew open and found her staring down at him. He quickly sprang to his feet and backed her into the large boulder they were under, his forearm pressed against her throat and his nose an inch from hers.

"Who are you? Where am I?" he demanded.

Lilith's eyes widened and she reached up to grip his arm. "I'm called Lilith," she gasped.

"Do you know where we are?" he asked, not releasing the pressure on her windpipe.

"No, but Batman must have sent us," Lilith said, now clawing desperately at his arm.

"How do you know Batman?" Robin asked quickly, looking at her suspiciously.

"I've been with him since I was ten," Lilith said.

Robin's eyes widened. "How come I've never heard of you?" he demanded.

"Batman sent me to live at the Watchtower when you came along," Lilith said, sounding nervous.

Robin's eyes narrowed. "Prove it," he said.

"Batman's real name is Bruce Wayne," Lilith responded immediately.

"Yeah," Robin said and he slowly stepped away from Lilith. "Yeah, it is. Alright, I believe you."

"Good," Lilith said breathlessly, rubbing her throat. "Now let's get out of here."

Lilith took a step forward and clutched her head as the world tilted beneath her. She stumbled into Robin, who had moved to lean against the rock outcrop they had been lying next to.

"Umph!" Robin grunted as his back hit the rock.

"I'm so sorry!" Lilith exclaimed, quickly backing up and tripping on Robin's foot. Robin's hand shot out and grabbed her upper arm to keep her from falling. When she straightened up, they were nose to nose.

For a moment, they stared at each other before they heard the sounds of a truck approaching. They quickly pulled away from each other and scrambled around the other side of the rock. Robin started climbing, and Lilith followed him without hesitation. They watched as the truck passed them.

"Those are Bialyan Republican Army uniforms," Lilith whispered, her eyes wide.

"But what are Bialyans doing in, uh…" Robin glanced down at the holographic GPS that had appeared above his wrist. "Bialya?" he asked. "Okay, better question—"

"What are _we_ doing in Bialya?" Lilith finished.

Robin glanced at the date. "In _September_?" he exclaimed. "What happened to March?"

"There's a birthday and six months I'll never get back," Lilith muttered to herself.

"This is no time to be funny!" Robin snapped.

"Who said anything about being funny?" Lilith asked dryly.

"We'd better radio Batman," Robin grumbled, going to touch the ear piece in his right ear. "Or not…" he said slowly, looking as though he had just remembered something.

"What?" Lilith demanded.

"Something I remember Batman telling me," Robin said. "Something about maintaining radio silence at all times." He glanced down and saw the coast was clear. He leapt off the side of the rock, and flipping neatly into a crouch. He glanced up and saw Lilith was already following his lead. She landed softly on the ground and saw that he had stood and was walking toward a scrap of fabric that lay on the rock. Lilith jumped up and peered over Robin's shoulder as he held it up.

"What would Superman be doing with a black shirt?" she asked. Robin jumped when he realized how close Lilith was before turning back to the shirt and narrowing his eyes.

"This must not be Superman's," he said. "It's the wrong fabric, too." He glanced back at Lilith and saw her face screwed up in concentration. "What?" he asked.

"Super…lad. Super…teen," she was muttering to herself. Suddenly her eyes widened. "Superboy!" she exclaimed.

"Super who?" Robin asked.

"Superboy wore that," Lilith said, sounding excited, but then her face fell again. "There must be some connection to Superman…but what? He never had any children."

"We'll have to figure that out on the way," Robin said, tucking the fabric into his utility belt. He pulled up the GPS again and scanned it.

"What's that?" Lilith asked, squinting at the screen.

"That's us," Robin said in a tone that one would use on a five-year-old.

"I'm not talking about that dot," Lilith snapped. "I'm talking about _that_ one." She pointed at the dot in question and Robin zoomed in.

"May as well check it out," he said. "Come on. It looks like it's going to be a hike."

* * *

Hours later, countless stars glittered in the dark sky, and Lilith found herself staring at the sky more than the ground.

"Oomph," she said quietly after running into Robin for the umpteenth time.

"Would you watch where you're going?" Robin snapped back for the umpteenth and one time.

"Sorry," Lilith said, shaking her head as if to clear it. "It's just the stars. It's been a long time since I've been anywhere dark enough to see them so clearly."

"You used to do this often?" Robin questioned, sounding genuinely interested.

"It was my escape," Lilith responded simply.

They continued in silence for a while longer before Robin muttered, "Wish I could remember why I put a GPS marker here." They reached the crest of a sand dune, and saw a dark machine beeping at the bottom. They quickly hit the ground. "Huh," Robin said. "Guessing that's why."

Lilith peeked over the top of the dune and once she found it was clear, she jumped over the top and landed softly at the bottom. He had just taken a step forward when four armed men erupted from the sand.

Lilith's eyes widened when she heard one of them say, "Her Majesty wants them alive!"

"We're wanted alive!" Lilith whispered to Robin, who stood back-to-back with her.

"You understand the language?" Robin whispered back.

"Yeah," Lilith said. "Something they insisted on."

"Well, they're not getting us, dead or alive," Robin muttered. He calmly dropped an orb, and a thick gas erupted from it. The men coughed and Lilith quickly began attacking, using the coughs to locate them. When the fog dissipated, she saw Robin was already at work too. Two were wrapped in weighted lines, several more had dropped their weapons, and Robin had just launched himself over another, placing his hands on his shoulders and twisting the man so he hit two of his fellow troops.

A few regrouped. "Enough!" one yelled. "Open fire!"

Lilith quickly dropped in front of Robin just as they started shooting. Robin did hand springs away, and Lilith quickly took aim. Before she could shoot any of them, a voice said, "I'll hold that. Thanks!" as the guns disappeared from the soldiers hands. Lilith quickly hit two with stunning pellets, and she saw Robin and a boy with red hair in a black uniform taking down more.

"Behind you!" Lilith yelled as two soldiers approached Robin's unprotected back. As he turned, they were thrown back. Lilith glanced up and saw the vague silhouette of a girl floating in the air. She materialized, and Lilith noticed she was dressed similarly to the Martian Manhunter, and had his green skin. Lilith noticed one was escaping as the boy in black took down several more, but before she could even lift her gun, a green arrow came whistling through the air. Before it hit the soldier, the end burst and wrapped the man's legs, tripping him. Lilith and the others turned to see a girl with long blonde hair pulled back in a ponytail wearing a green outfit and mask and holding her bow in front of her. She lowered it and walked toward them.

"K.F.!" Robin exclaimed, walking forward to clasp his hand. "Man, it's god to see a familiar face!"

"Hey, Rob," the red-headed boy, Kid Flash, said. "Memory loss?" he asked.

"Six months!" Robin groaned. "Let's hogtie these creeps and compare notes."

"Looks like someone's way ahead of you," Kid Flash said, glancing behind Robin, and Robin turned to see Lilith already had two tied together. She had just reached a third who suddenly sat up and reached for his gun, but before Robin could react, Lilith had pulled out her own handgun and wacked the man across the temple with the butt of it, knocking him out cold. "Impressive," Kid Flash said. "Where'd you find her?"

"She was with me when I woke up," Robin said with a shrug as he kneeled down to tie up a soldier, Kid Flash following his lead.

"Well, if I hadn't seen the blonde-haired beauty, I'd totally hit on her," Kid Flash said. Robin laughed tightly, but Kid Flash didn't seem to notice.

Once they had the soldiers tied up, they gathered together to talk.

"So, we're a team?" Robin asked.

Lilith snorted. "There must be some mistake," she said. "I don't do 'team.'"

"Well it's true," the Martian told them, who called herself M'gann. "The five of us and Superboy."

"Well, I think we found his shirt," Lilith said as Robin pulled out the scrap of cloth with the red _S_.

"Yes!" M'gann exclaimed. "Did you see him?" she asked.

"I think we did," the blonde archer—Artemis—said, turning to Kid Flash.

"Feral boy?" he asked, scratching his chin. "Some teammate," he said. "He attacked us."

"He didn't know who we are," Artemis defended. " _I_ don't know who we are," she said.

"I remember Batman ordering radio silence," Robin said slowly. "Our team must work for him."

"How do you know we don't work for _my_ mentor?" Kid Flash asked, poking his chest with his thumb. His black uniform spontaneously changed to bright yellow and red. "Whoa," he said, pushing the lightning bolt again. "This is so cool!" Robin and Artemis started poking their uniforms too.

"We look ridiculous!" Artemis exclaimed, who sounded as though she had suddenly come to her senses, throwing her hands in the air. "Quit touching yourself!" she yelled at Kid Flash, who had changed his uniform several times. "We need our memories back."

Lilith heard M'gann's voice in her head. _To help Superboy_. She glanced up just as M'gann's eyes started glowing white, and suddenly, she wasn't in the desert anymore.

Looking around, she saw Robin, Artemis, and Kid Flash had appeared too. They were in a doomed room, which glowed from the images that covered the surface in shards. Indistinct whispers echoed around them as they saw themselves in the different fragments.

"I've brought you into my mind," M'gann said, appearing before them, "to share what I've remembered so far. But I need your help," she said. "Together, our broken memories _can_ form a whole, if you open your minds to mine," she added hesitantly.

"You want to paw through our _private_ thoughts?" Artemis exclaimed, backing away. Lilith turned to her. She had been having the same thoughts, but what could Artemis, a hero, be doing with thoughts like that?

"I have no wish to intrude, but—"

"You need to hack our minds to grok what happened to us," Robin said logically. "Got it. Go."

"My brain's all yours," Kid Flash said, gazing at M'gann. "Try not to let its brilliance overwhelm you."

"Or _under_ whelm you," Robin snickered. "Hey, why isn't anyone ever just whelmed?" he added as an afterthought.

Lilith groaned. "We've been through this," she said. "And you don't even know what 'whelm' means!" she exclaimed.

"We have?" Robin asked, scratching his head.

"Uh, I think so," Lilith said uncertainly. She shook her head. "But that's not the point," she said. "The point is, this isn't a computer program we're talking about," she said. "This is our minds, an incredibly fragile thing. If one thing were to happen, we could end up like vegetables!"

"I'll be careful, I promise," M'gann said.

Lilith watched Kid Flash step forward and take Artemis's hand. She glanced at him before sighing and saying, "Last six months _only_ , and only what you need."

M'gann nodded and held her hand out in front of her. Four glowing blue hands appeared and each placed itself on their heads.

 _The Watchtower detected an immense power surge in the Bialyan Desert_ , Batmna's voice rang through Lilith's head. An image appeared, and she saw Batman standing in front of a holograph map. _Spectral analysis revealed elements non-terrestrial in origin. Find out what happened at that site, what landed there. Bialya is a rouge state ruled by Queen Bee, and not a member of the League's U.N. charter. All communications are subject to interception. Maintain radio silence_ at all times.

Batman disappeared and was replaced by a desert sand dune through binoculars. _You'll land in Kourak on Bialya's border,_ Batman's voice continued, _two clicks from the hot zone._

 _All clear,_ Robin's voice came, and the image swept to M'gann and Artemis standing at the base of the Bioship dock while Superboy lugged something down on his back.

 _The Bialyans control the site,_ Lilith's voice echoed, and she saw herself and Robin looking down on a heavily guarded tent.

 _Set up here,_ an unrecognized voice said, and Lilith saw Superboy place the machine on the ground. He turned a dial, and the machine hissed as parts began to slide out.

 _We'll be up and running in no time,_ Robin said, and Lilith watched as he clicked away at the keyboard that had popped out of the machine's side.

 _Jackpot!_ Kid Flash said. _The site's lousy with zeta-beam radiation._

 _Detecting non-terrestrial trace elements from the tent_ , Lilith said, glancing behind her.

 _I'll check it out in camouflage mode,_ M'gann said.

 _Good idea,_ the voice came again. _Go._

 _Careful,_ Superboy said to M'gann.

 _And maintain telepathic contact_. The owner of the voice came into view, and suddenly Lilith remembered.

 _I will, Aqualad,_ M'gann replied.

Suddenly, Lilith found herself back in the desert.

"Aqualad!" they all exclaimed.

"Where is he?" Lilith asked.

"What happened next?" Robin inquired.

"Priorities!" Lilith exclaimed, elbowing Robin in the ribs.

"Right, sorry," Robin said, rubbing the back of his neck.

"I don't know what happened," M'gann said. "That's the last thing I—we—remember," she said.

Lilith looked back as Kid Flash and Artemis each yanked back their hands. "Ehh," Kid Flash grumbled. "We landed twenty-four hours ago," he said as he twisted his back to Artemis and scratched his head. Artemis crossed her arms across her chest and scowled, turning away from Kid Flash. "If Kaldur'ahm's been wandering the desert that long, well…"

"That can't be good for a guy with gills," Lilith finished grimly.

"Now that I know to look for him…" Robin said, trailing off and pulling up his GPS. "He's close!" he exclaimed. "But he's not moving."

"We'd better get moving then," Lilith said, and Robin took the lead, the others following closely behind him.

The Team quickly found Aqualad, and he didn't look good. He was unconscious and muttering in Atlantean.

"I can't restore his memories in this condition," M'gann said, kneeling by his head.

"He needs immediate rehydration," Robin declared. "Call the Bioship."

"It's out of range," M'gann said. "But you can get him there fast," she added, turning to Kid Flash.

"He's too heavy," Kid Flash said. "And I'm too low on fuel. Right now, I couldn't even carry her," he said, gesturing to Artemis.

Artemis scoffed and batted his hand away. "Why not just levitate him back?" she asked M'gann.

"I can't," M'gann said. "I have to find Superboy."

"Six months ago, he didn't exist," Lilith said slowly. "He has no memories…just animal impulse. Trust me, I know," she added with a grumble.

"I thought you said you could only understand animals' thoughts?" Robin accused.

"When your brain is that disorganized, it's easier to read," Lilith explained. "Humans are so…complex."

"I'm the only one who can help him," M'gann agreed.

"Superboy's indestructible, just ask those tanks," Kid Flash said. "It's Aqualad who needs your help. Like, _now_."

"No!" M'gann suddenly exclaimed. "Superboy's in pain!" She took off in. "We can't wait!"

"We still don't know what erased our memories!" Robin yelled after her. "It could happen again!"

Lilith sighed and then squared her shoulders. "I have a few energy bars." She pulled out several bars from the black utility belt she kept strapped around her waist, and they each lunged for one. "And I have saline and a needle and syringe." She pulled out several small glass bottles filled with clear liquid. "This should be enough to get him back to the Bioship safely." Lilith knelt beside Aqualad and sterilized the needle and a patch of skin before filling it with saline and inserting it into Aqualad's vein. Once she was done, she carefully cleaned the area and stood. "We'll need to carry him on something."

"Got it covered," Robin said. Lilith glanced down and saw that Robin had put together a makeshift cot of sorts.

"Great," Lilith said. She kneeled at Aqualad's head and said, "Someone help me shift him sideways onto the cot." Artemis hurried to Aqualad's feet, and Robin and Kid Flash held the cloth steady while Lilith and Artemis carefully slid Aqualad onto it. "Robin, lead us on your GPS. Kid Flash, Artemis, drag the cot. I'll cover us from behind." They nodded without argument and each set to their task. Robin pulled up the GPS and started walking, and Kid Flash and Artemis each took a hold of the cot and began pulling Aqualad behind them. Lilith pulled out her gun and held it in her hands, eyes darting everywhere, ready to shoot first and ask questions later.

Several miles later, they heard trucks rumble in the distance.

"Quick," Robin whispered, pointing to a raised rock. "Over there." They hurried behind the rock and Lilith climbed to the top to keep watch. Below her, she heard Aqualad muttering in Atlantean.

"Shh, Kaldur," Artemis said softly. "Quiet now."

Robin joined Lilith at the top of the rock just as several foot soldiers marched past.

He slid down and whispered, "We can't risk a firefight with Aqualad K. like this."

"It's not just him," Kid Flash grunted. "I'm out of juice again."

"And I'm almost out of arrows," Artemis said, pulling the quiver around so they could see.

Lilith didn't hear anymore as she silently jumped down and started to follow the soldiers. She was stopped when Robin suddenly appeared at her elbow and held a finger to his lips. Lilith nodded and went back to the rock.

"Ugh," she heard Kid Flash say as he looked around. "I forgot how much I hate it when he does the ninja thing. Hey," he added suddenly, turning to Artemis. "You never said why your dad wanted you to—" He made a sound like a knife cutting through cloth while swiping his finger across his throat, "—me."

"I got…confused by, uh, some old movie I saw the other night," Artemis said quickly, turning away from Kid Flash. "About a ninja girl whose ninja dad ordered her to kill her ninja boyfriend 'cause he was from a rival ninja clan."

"So-o, I'm your ninja boyfriend, huh?" Kid Flash asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Hey, amnesia, remember?" Artemis snapped. "Completely forgot how _truly_ annoying you are."

"Oh, like you're the goddess of congeniality," Kid Flash quipped back.

"Yeesh!" Robin exclaimed, and Lilith glanced down to see he was back. "Get a room," he commented.

"Dude!" Kid Flash exclaimed. "Where were you?"

"Breaking radio silence," he responded with a smirk. He glanced back at the soldiers' retreating backs, and Lilith watched as they stopped when Robin's signature laugh played on loop before an explosion clouded her view.

"That's our cue," Robin said. "Move!" Lilith jumped down from the rock and ran after the others, her gun still clutched in her hands.

After several more miles, they finally made it to the Bioship.

"Place, date, time?" Lilith asked as she started setting up an I.V. for Aqualad.

Robin glanced at his GPS. "Uh, Qurac, September 5, 0229 EEST." Lilith nodded in acknowledgement.

 _Hey, everybody!_ M'gann's voice rang through their heads. _I've got Superboy. He's back to normal and we're on our way!_

Suddenly, Aqualad sat up and gasped. "Who are you?" he demanded. "And how did you get inside my head?"

 _Hello, M'gann!_ M'gann said. _Aqualad's memories! I knew I forgot something._

 _Aw, man!_ Kid Flash exclaimed. _Me too! I didn't get a souvenir from the mission._

 _Don't worry,_ M'gann said, her tone light with humor. _Got the souvenir thing covered._

When M'gann finally arrived with Superboy, something had hitched its way back.

"Uh, M'gann," Artemis said, eyeing the gray sphere warily. "What exactly is that?"

"Not entirely sure," M'gann admitted.

"Then how can we know it's safe?" Lilith asked cautiously.

"Because it helped us escape," Superboy said, patting the top of the sphere, which beeped, almost contently.

"Ri-ight," Wally drew out, sounding skeptical.

Robin shrugged casually. "Hey, the more the merrier, right?" he joked.

* * *

Lilith sat in her usual spot at the front, her head supported on her hand. Everyone was quiet.

"Hey." Lilith startled awake and saw Robin leaning forward.

"Yeah?" she asked, fighting a yawn.

"Are you okay?" Robin asked.

"Yeah, fine," Lilith said, waving away his concern. "Little sleep and little food. Dehydration. The usual."

Robin frowned. "I didn't realize you didn't save anything for yourself," he said.

Lilith just frowned. "I only had three left. And besides," she said, gazing out the window, "I'm used to working on an empty stomach."

"Here." Lilith glanced back and saw Robin offering her the rest of his bar, of which only a small bite had been taken.

Lilith hesitantly reached out and took it. "Thanks," she said softly, giving Robin a small smile. He didn't respond, just smiled back, and Lilith turned back to the window. She slowly ate the bar, sighing as it helped ease the gnawing in her stomach. Once she was finished, she leaned back and closed her eyes.

 _Perhaps this Team thing isn't so bad after all._

* * *

 **A/N: Hope you enjoyed. If you have any questions or comments, let me know! Until next time.**

 **P.S. Reminder: let me know who you think would be Lilith's best match. I'm really interested in what you're thinking.**


	11. Confidants

**A/N: I own nothing you recognize.**

 **This is a pretty short chapter since it follows Red Arrow in Taiwan. It's mainly Kaldur and Lilith, bonding I suppose you can call it. Hope you enjoy :)**

 **Thank you for the follows, favorites, and comments. It really means a lot to me :)**

 **Guest (chapter 10): I will consider your request! I've still got some major editing to do, but I will keep that in mind as I do.**

 **ShadowXMoonlight: Thanks so much! Hope I continue good work for you guys.**

 **Remember, comment who you think Lilith should be paired with!**

* * *

 **Mount Justice  
September 7, 0640 EDT**

"Lilith."

She glanced up as she stepped out of the transporter and saw Kaldur walking toward her. She swept a loose piece of dark hair off her forehead and asked curiously, "What is it?"

"Superboy and M'gann are about to start their first day of high school," Kaldur explained. "I was wondering if you wanted to see them off."

A grin spread over Lilith's face. "Oh, I wouldn't miss this for the world." Kaldur nodded and turned back, Lilith easily falling in step beside him.

"What are you doing at the Cave so early?" Kaldur asked conversationally as they made their way through the halls.

"There was a news cast I wanted to catch," Lilith explained, fiddling with the zipper of her black jacket absentmindedly. She glanced up and caught the tilt of Kaldur's head that told her he was wondering why she needed to be up so early. "The event is taking place in Taiwan," she explained. "And they're filming live."

"I see," Kaldur said as they were joined by J'onn and Red Tornado. M'gann caught up soon after, and the quartet made their way to the bay, where Superboy was working on his bike.

"Ready for school?" M'gann chirped as she flew ahead of the small group. "I made our lunches!" she sang, gesturing to the two brown paper bags in her hand.

"The first day of a scholastic season carried great cultural resonance," J'onn said as they approached.

Lilith snorted. "Yeah, it signifies the end of our freedom," she joked, but she was met with blank stares. "Never mind," she sighed.

"We want to wish you both well," J'onn continued, turning from Lilith back to his niece and Superboy.

"Guess it's not a Kryptonian thing," Superboy pointed out.

"You may wish to...change, before you depart," Kaldur said hesitantly, gesturing to the black shirt Superboy wore with Superman's signature _S_ and M'gann's usual "casual" outfit.

"Oh, I spent hours choosing this outfit!" M'gann exclaimed as her clothes shifted into something that tugged at Lilith's memory. "What do you think?" M'gann asked, glancing around at them. "Can M'gann M'orzz pass as an Earth girl now?"

"Well…" Kaldur started, looking unsure how to phrase what he wanted to point out.

"Just kidding!" M'gann called. Lilith watched as M'gann's usual green skin changed until it was Caucasian. "Meet Megan Morse," she declared, doing a little spin and small curtsey at the end. "What's your new name?" she asked Superboy, turning to face him.

"My what?" Superboy asked uncertainly, his eyebrows lifting slightly in confusion.

"I chose the name John Jones for myself," J'onn spoke up to clarify. Lilith glanced behind her to see J'onn's clothes and skin change. "And I suggested John Smith for Red Tornado. You could be a 'John' too," J'onn suggested.

"Pass," Superboy said, crossing his arms with a scowl.

"Conner's always been my favorite name," M'gann said hopefully, putting her hands on Superboy's arm. Superboy shrugged carelessly, and Lilith knew that would be the end of that conversation.

"A last name will also be required," Kaldur pointed out.

"Perhaps, Kent," J'onn said, and Lilith's lip pulled up in the corner as she caught the knowing look on J'onn's face.

"Oh, in memory of Doctor Fate," M'gann connected. "The late _Kent_ Nelson."

"Uh, of course," J'onn said, shifting back to his usual form.

"Okay, sure," Superboy said. "I guess it would be an honor, or something." Lilith chuckled at Superboy and M'gann's obliviousness to the real reason behind the name, and Superboy looked at her curiously. Lilith glanced at J'onn before looking back at Superboy and shaking her head in a _never-mind-it-was-nothing_ kind of way.

"Well, Conner Kent," M'gann spoke up, trying out Superboy's new name, "time to change your shirt." Superboy glanced down at the _S_ and put his hand almost protectively over it. "You don't want to reveal your identity," M'gann said, tapping the icon.

"Who'd know thought?" Lilith pointed out. "I see people wearing shirts like that all the time."

"Perhaps she is right though," Kaldur said thoughtfully. "Already he does bear a remarkable resemblance to Superman." Lilith crossed her arms and shrugged and Superboy pulled his black shirt over his head easily and flipped it inside out. Lilith bit her lip to keep the giggle from escaping her lips when she noticed the blush that crossed M'gann's now easily-flustered cheeks.

"Will this work?" Superboy asked with a sigh, oblivious to M'gann's predicament.

Lilith heard M'gann sigh, "Works for me," but Superboy didn't seem to catch it as he was already turning and pulling on his shirt.

"Wait, shouldn't I be Conner Nelson?" he questioned as he began to walk away, M'gann following closely behind.

"They grow up so fast," J'onn said wistfully. Sphere rolled up and beeped and whirred.

"They'll be back," Lilith promised Sphere, stepping forward to pat the top of the metal ball. Sphere whirred again, sounding almost sad to Lilith. "Now, you wanna go watch the news with me?"

The sphere beeped loudly and quickly rolled away. Lilith faked an offended gasp before laughing slightly and turning to head to the transporter room.

As soon as she got there, Lilith pulled up a holographic screen and found the channel she was looking for. It wasn't long until her least favorite news reporter appeared on screen.

 _This is Cat Grant reporting from Taipei where the historic peace summit between South Rhelasia and North Rhelasia has completely broken down._

The blonde reporter stood in Taiwan, twelve hours ahead of her.

 _As a last resort, Prime Minster Tseng of South Rhelasia and North Rhelasia's General Singh Mann Li have agreed to bring in an independent arbitrator. But who is it?_

Lilith had heard rumors of who the mystery arbitrator might be, and she wanted to see for herself.

 _Speculation has run from the Secretary General of the United Nations to Superman,_ Grant hinted dramatically. _But the Man of Steel seems unlikely as I'm told the arbitrator is due to arrive by car, not cape, at any moment._

Lilith growled at the poor joke and gritted her teeth. She hated news reporters like Cat Grant. They weren't supposed to be friendly, they were supposed to _report the news_ as impassively as possible, which meant the inflection and jokes were way out of line.

Behind her, she heard Aqualad state his name. Lilith glanced up and saw his hand was to his ear. He gestured at the screen, and Lilith nodded, moving aside and giving Aqualad room to operate.

"Checking…" he said, typing on the keyboard. Lilith watched as he pulled up a database full of stats on an assassin. "Cheshire is one-point-six-seven meters," Aqualad reported. A small smile tugged at his lips as he converted. "She is five foot six, and exceptionally dangerous. Do you require backup?" he questioned. He paused as he listened to the person on the other end. "Just our computer," he responded dryly. "Good luck my friend," he said. "Aqualad out."

Aqualad closed the images and the news screen enlarged.

"Red Arrow?" Lilith asked, not glancing away from the news.

"How did—were you eavesdropping?" Aqualad asked, crossing his arms.

"I swear, I heard nothing," Lilith said, holding up her hands and glancing at him. "But how many other people outside the Team would know to ask you to pull up information on our computers?" she asked, crossing her arms and returning her attention to the screens once more.

A white compact limo escorted by at least six police officers on motorcycles pulled up on the screen just then.

 _The arbitrator has arrived,_ Grant said.

Suddenly, in the background, Lilith caught a flash of red and then a grunt, followed by the sound of what was most likely a rocket launcher misfiring. People started screaming, and the guards began yelling at the people in Taiwanese. A flash of green suddenly appeared on the screen, and Lilith said, "Freeze!" The news stopped running, and Lilith saw the person's feet. "Rewind, slow motion," she commanded. Slowly, the frames began to run backward, and after a minute, Lilith said, "Stop." Frozen in midair was Cheshire.

"That must be why Red Arrow was calling about Cheshire," Lilith murmured. "And she must have been the one to fire the rocket launcher. But who was her target?" she pondered. She sighed and said, "Play news."

Grant was on screen again, and behind her, Lilith could see Cheshire straddling a red-haired young man in a suit, surrounded by men with guns.

"And there's Red Arrow," Lilith sighed.

 _We have just witnessed an assassination attempt, live,_ Grant said breathlessly. Lilith snarled and her lip curled.

"You dislike news reporters?" Aqualad asked.

"I dislike _her_ ," Lilith corrected. Behind Grant, a woman stepped out of the driver's seat of the white car, and Lilith's eyes widened. "So it's true," she whispered.

"What?" Aqualad asked.

 _Thankfully, no one seems to have been hurt, including our mystery arbitrator,_ Grant said.

Cameras began flashing, and beside her, Lilith heard Aqualad gasp.

"Lex Luthor?" Aqualad asked at the same time as Grant.

Lilith stared open-mouthed at the screen. Finally, she said, "I had heard rumors that Luthor was to be the arbitrator," she said. "But I never believed it for a moment."

"And that is why you woke early to watch the news?" Aqualad questioned.

Lilith glanced at him. "Alright, maybe it burned me with curiosity," she said. "But I can't believe they actually plan on using him."

They continued watching in silence as more cameras took them inside the hall.

 _The violence outside has not helped the peace process,_ Grant whispered dramatically to the camera.

"Hiring assassins, Li?" Lilith heard Tseng say. "Had you no one among your _own_ troops to do the North's dirty work?"

"I need no assassins, Tseng," Li replied. "Such is the method of a southern coward."

They continue to fight, yelling at each other in Taiwanese as the cameras pulled back to Grant.

 _Tensions are running high and troops are massing on the border between the two countries. Right now, Lex Luthor seems to be the best, or only, hope for peace._

Luthor appeared on the screen, walking up the stairs and approaching the two men and their guards.

"Gentlemen, gentlemen," Luthor called airily. "Shall we attempt some smiles for the camera?"

"That slimy little… _donnola_ ," Lilith spat, her lip curling once more. "I can't believe people are buying this." She paused. "I wonder if they're showing this in history classes," she pondered.

"Why would they?" Aqualad asked curiosly.

Lilith turned to him. "Every day, we make history. One day, history will remember this day: the day that leaders of the two Rhelasias met. And history will remember one of two scenarios: the peaceful signing of a treaty that brought about reunification, or the disastrous attempts and how it flung both countries, and possibly the rest of the world, into war."

Aqualad seemed to consider her answer. "I suppose it would be interesting to be in a class right now," he said.

"History has always been my favorite subject," Lilith murmured with a small smile, almost without thought.

"Why is that?" Aqualad asked.

"It's one big story," Lilith replied, her smile widening slightly. "And I always thought it was amazing that every day, some event might be looked at in the future as a significant date."

Aqualad studied Lilith for a moment. "You're a very interesting girl," he said.

"What makes you say that?" Lilith asked, unconsciously crossing one arm across her chest and tapping her exposed collar bone with the fingers of her free hand.

"You come to us with a mysterious past," Aqualad responded. "A past you keep well-guarded."

"I don't want people to think badly of me," Lilith whispered, her shoulders hunching and she found it difficult to meet Aqualad's eyes. "I've done…questionable things in the past," she said, still not looking at him. "And I don't want people to think I'm _that_ person. That I haven't changed." She sniffed, and Aqualad was startled when he realized she was on the verge of tears. He stepped forward and put his arms around her, and Lilith's shoulders began to shake with suppressed sobs.

"You have kept your feelings and fears bottled up," Aqualad stated quietly. "Maybe it is time to let them out."

Lilith pulled away and shook her head, wiping her eyes as she did. "Who could I talk to?" she asked, sounding defeated. "I don't want anyone on the League to know my past; they ight think I'm unworthy or untrustworthy and kick me out." Her voice began to shake and she took a few deep breaths before she could continue. "And I can't talk to a professional. I'd have to tell them my entire story, and I don't think even trained professionals could handle it."

"How much does Batman know?" Aqualad asked.

"He and Alfred know the most," Lilith said. "Where I escaped and the training I was put through. But neither know the monster I am," she finished with a whisper.

"You are not a monster," Aqualad said firmly. "Just because you have demons does not make you a bad person. We all have demons."

"It's not like that!" Lilith gasped. "If the League found out the kinds of things I had to do, the things I was training for, they would never look at me again!"

"But maybe that is the key word: _had_ ," Aqualad reasoned. "If you were _forced_ to do something, you cannot be held personally responsible for your actions."

"Do you really believe that?" Lilith asked, glancing up at Aqualad.

"Yes," he said. "Yes, I do."

Lilith sniffed and wiped the last tears off her face. "Thank you for listening, Kaldur," she said quietly.

"I will always be available if you need anyone to listen," Kaldur promised with a soft smile. Lilith managed a small smile back and turned back to the news.

* * *

That evening, Lilith heard a soft knock on her Cave bedroom door. She stood and cracked it open.

"Kaldur," she said, stepping out and closing the door behind her. "This is a surprise."

"I needed someone to talk to," he said. "Someone who would listen to reason."

"I'm honored you came to me," Lilith said with a small smile. "But wouldn't you rather talk to Robin or Wally?" she asked. "After all, you've known them the longest."

"This is a matter that must be dealt with…delicately," Kaldur said slowly.

"Alright," Lilith said with a nod. "I know a good place we can go talk in private." She walked down the hall and Kaldur followed.

They stepped outside the "backdoor," as M'gann had put it on their first day. Lilith walked to the wall and began carefully edging her way on the thin ledge that led a little ways down the side of the mountain.

"So what did you want to talk about?" Lilith asked once she had reached a ledge that was wide enough on which to seat.

"I was in Taiwan with Roy," Kaldur started. "Long story short, we met Sportsmaster and Cheshire, and Sportsmaster mentioned he knew of our missions and that he had a very inside source."

"And you don't want to tell Robin and Wally because they would immediately start trying to figure out who the mole is," Lilith hypothesized. "And you wouldn't want to tell the others because they're newer, and because if one of them _is_ a mole, you wouldn't want to tip them off."

"Yes," Kaldur said. "And that is why I wanted to talk to you. I figured you would see things the way I do."

"So what are you going to do?" Lilith asked.

"Watch, for now," Kaldur said. Lilith didn't respond, just gazed over the ocean. "You have a suspect," he guessed.

Lilith glanced at Kaldur. "I do," she said slowly. "But I'm afraid you won't like my answer."

Kaldur nodded. "I will respect your decision," he said. "Thank you, for listening, I mean."

"It's the least I could do," Lilith said with a small smile. "You listened to me." Kaldur smiled back before standing and making his way back to the entrance.

* * *

 **A/N: Hope you enjoyed :)**

 **Tell me who you think is Lilith's best match! Until next time.**


	12. Forever Summer

**A/N: I own nothing you recognize.**

 **Another kinda short chapter as during this episode, we see M'gann and Conner at Belle Reve. I'm trying my best to add some of Naomi's personal life in this to make it a bit more original. Hope you enjoy :)**

 **Fun Fact: I was originally going to wait until this chapter to reveal Lilith's alias, but I decided I wanted to do more with her home life and so I revealed her sooner rather than later.**

 **Thank you for all the follows, favorites, and comments!**

 **ShadowXMoonlight: Who do you think Lilith should be paired with?**

 **killian . rainey: Lilith attends Gotham Academy, as you will see in a chapter or two. And the suspect, well, it should be revealed soon.**

 **DarkShadowEclipse: Thanks for your comment! I have given this a lot of thought (after all, it is the main character) and I'm still in the process of editing. Hopefully I can give you something definite soon!**

* * *

 **Gotham City  
September 13, 2107 EST**

 _Buzz!_

Naomi glanced down at her phone and checked the text.

 _Haven't heard from you in ages! Do you want to get together before school starts?_

Naomi smiled when she saw the sender. Elizabeth Harrow had been her best friend since she moved to Gotham. They had met when Naomi had been placed in sixth grade class, and had stuck together ever since. Now, they were about to start their junior year at Gotham Academy.

 _So sorry! I've been busy. I'd love to. I'll meet you usual time and place, tomorrow?_ Naomi only had to wait a moment before the response came.

 _See you then!_

* * *

 **Gotham City  
September 14, 1130 EST**

Naomi's attention was drawn immediately to the blonde sitting on the edge of the iconic water fountain by a loud squeal she gave when she caught sight of Naomi.

"Lizzie!" Naomi exclaimed with a wide grin. She ran up and hugged her best friend.

"I invited the others," Lizzie informed Naomi once the pair had pulled away.

"The more the merrier," Naomi said with a smile. "I'm so sorry, by the way!" she added with a slight wince.

"I forgive you," Lizzie assured just as the others arrived: Rosalind Summerville, Jack Morris, and Aidan Turner.

"Mimi!" Rosalind said with a wide smile, engulfing the raven-haired girl in an embrace.

"Rosie, you know I hate that nickname," Naomi grumbled as she pulled away from the red-head, but a smile still made its way to her lips. "Jack, Aidan," Naomi said, turning to the two boys and hugging each. "I'm so sorry we couldn't hang out more this summer!"

"Don't fret, Naomi," Jack said. "We still managed to have fun without you."

"Harsh, dude," Aidan said with a laugh, punching Jack lightly in the shoulder.

"What?" Jack asked. "It's a compliment!"

Naomi rolled her eyes. "Sure, Jack."

Liz's face suddenly lit up in a bright smile as she remembered, "How's the job?" The others instantly nodded their heads in agreement.

Naomi laughed and nodded; she had told them that she had taken a job at Wayne Enterprises. "It's great," Naomi said with a smile.

"Have you seen Bruce Wayne yet?" Liz asked with a mischievous gleam in her eyes.

"Elizabeth!" Naomi exclaimed, giving her a little shove but she giggled nonetheless. "Yes, I have," she admitted.

"I would love to be in your place," Rosalind sighed.

"Ros, he's like, thirty-two," Naomi said with a laugh.

"He's still _so-o_ attractive," Rosalind swooned.

"Um, gross," Naomi said, wrinkling her nose with a laugh. "Now, come on! Are we going shopping or what?"

"Of-freakin'-course!" Lizzie exclaimed. "We're gonna shop 'til we drop!" She jumped up and linked her arms with Naomi and Rosalind, leaving Jack and Aidan to follow behind.

Two hours into shopping, Naomi heard a beeping in her ear. "Ah, I'm getting a call," she called over her shoulder to the group. "I'll be right back." She pulled her phone out of her bag, carefully hiding the black screen.

Naomi put her phone to her ear and she heard, "Aqualad to Lilith."

"I read you," Naomi said lowly.

"We are leaving for New Orleans in a few hours," Aqualad said. "Will you be joining us?"

"Not today, I'm afraid," Naomi said. "I'm at home."

"Ah," Aqualad said, and Naomi could hear the small smile in his voice. "Finally taking a day off?"

"Something like that." Naomi glanced up and saw her friends approaching her. "Listen, I have to go," she said quickly. "I should be back this evening. I'll keep you updated, and I want to be part of the debrief," she added sternly. "Lilith out."

"So who was that?" Rosalind asked as the group reached Naomi. "A mystery boy?" she teased.

"Something like that," Naomi repeated as she pocketed her phone.

"Ooh!" Lizzie squealed. "It's about time you found yourself a man!"

Naomi rolled her eyes. "I didn't mean it like that. And besides," she added with a laugh. "The world doesn't revolve around men."

Liz and Rosalind glanced at each other and shrugged. "You can't blame us for trying." Naomi laughed again.

"Now let's hit some more shops!" Rosalind exclaimed happily, and she and Lizzie immediately bounded away, leaving Naomi, Aidan, and Jack groaning behind them.

* * *

 **Gotham City  
September 14, 1400 EDT**

"Dude, I can't believe you've never taken me here before," Wally said, staring around with wide eyes. "All the babes…"

Dick rolled his eyes behind his dark sunglasses. "That's _why_ I've never taken you here before."

"Ooh, your three o'clock!" Wally whispered, ignoring Dick. Dick just sighed and followed Wally's gaze, knowing it was easier to just go along with it.

Sitting at a round table under a white-and-green stripped umbrella was a group of five, two guys and three girls. Both boys and one of the girls were dark-haired, and the other two girls were a blonde and a red-head. There was nothing about her that was spectacular or anything, but for some reason, Dick's eyes were drawn to the dark-haired girl with almond-shaped hazel eyes.

"Dude, I don't get it," Wally said, pulling Dick's eyes away from the group. "No one here knows you're _you-know-who_. Take off the glasses!" Dick ignored him and went back to his sandwich. In a flash, Wally snagged Dick's sunglasses.

"Hey!" he yelled, louder than he intended. Several heads turned to look at him, and Wally nudged him.

"Those girls just looked over here!" he whispered excitedly.

Dick whipped his head around and saw indeed that the group of five had glanced up at his outburst. The blonde and red-head leaned toward the third girl and whispered something to each other, two of them giggling as they did. The dark-haired girl rolled her eyes but laughed all the same, pulling her gaze away from Dick.

"They were totally checking us out," Wally said proudly. "And they look like they're older too!"

"Just finish your food, Wally," Dick muttered.

* * *

"So," Lizzie started. She and Naomi were alone in her bedroom, lounging around her spacious room.

"Uh oh," Naomi said, glancing up at her friend who was lying in her bed, flipping through a magazine. "I know that tone."

"Those boys were cute," Liz said casually.

"Which ones?" Naomi asked, playing dumb and twiddling the pen in her hand.

Lizzie threw a pillow at her head. "The ones who were eating on the other side of the courtyard!" she exclaimed. "They were cute, don't you think?"

"Bit young, don't you think," Naomi responded, writing a line in her notebook.

"Not by that much," Liz waved off. "Say, did one of them look kinda familiar?"

"Maybe the dark-haired one," Naomi muttered to herself.

"What was that?" Liz asked, glancing over her bed to look at her friend.

"Nothing," Naomi said, rolling on her back so she was staring at Liz's bedroom ceiling. She glanced at her watch and groaned.

"I'd better get going," she said, standing and shoving her notebook and pen into her bag. Liz pouted but stood from her bed to hug her friend.

"We should try to get together again before school starts," Liz pushed.

"I would love to," Naomi said with a smile. "But I never know what my schedule's going to look like."

Liz sighed but smiled. "Well, at least at school I'll have your full and undivided attention!" she joked. Naomi smiled and hugged her best friend.

"I'll see you soon," she said and then walked out of the room.

* * *

Lilith appeared at the Cave a few minutes later and she found Kaldur with Artemis, Wally, and Robin. Kaldur waved her over.

"I was just about to start the debrief," he explained.

"Shouldn't we wait for M'gann and Superboy?" Artemis asked.

"They are on a mission," Kaldur said.

"Without us?" Robin said.

"That's what New Orleans was about," Lilith spoke up. "I didn't feel like asking and then feeling obligated to join."

"I understand," Kaldur sympathized.

"So what were you guys doing in New Orleans without us?" Wally pushed.

"We needed them in Belle Reve Penitentiary," Kaldur said.

"That prison designed for the world's worst supervillains?" Robin gasped.

"What are they doing there?" Artemis demanded.

"Batman suspected the ice villains we took on in July had something big planned," Kaldur explained calmly. "They were the logical choice."

"Logical choice for what?" Wally asked, raising his eyebrow.

"They are disguised as the Terror Twins: Tommy and Tuppence. Batman wants them to investigate those ice villains."

"When will they be back?" Artemis asked.

"They should only be there three days at most," Kaldur responded. "Batman believes once they are together, their plan will occur sooner rather than later."

"For their sake, I certainly hope so," Lilith said softly. The remaining Team glanced at Lilith and they shared her feeling of unease.

"It is late," Kaldur said finally. "You should return home."

They nodded and headed for the zeta-tubes, and one by one, they vanished.

When Naomi got home, she went to her bedroom immediately and shut the door softly behind her. She sighed and let her hair fall down her back and she stepped out of her uniform. After changing into a large T-shirt, she turned to the mirror and slowly removed her mask.

Today, Dick had seen her, Naomi, again, and he didn't seem to realize at who he was looking. Naomi didn't mind; it made it easier to enjoy herself when she was out with her friends.

Naomi looked at herself in the mirror. As usual, she wasn't wearing any makeup; after all, if you're wearing a mask, what's the point? She gave a hard look at her almond-shaped eyes and her rather round face and her cheeks, which she had always felt were still too chubby, though Liz insisted again and again that Naomi was gorgeous and that her cheeks were too trivial to worry about.

When Naomi had arrived at Bruce Wayne's doorstep, she had been dressed similarly to what she normally wore, though her hair had long come out of its neat bun. Alfred had opened the door and Bruce had stepped forward when he heard a young girl's voice speaking about why she was dressed as she was.

Once Bruce had officially taken her under his wing, he had suggested she keep up an alias that her people wouldn't know about. She chose Naomi Sanders. Alfred and Bruce were the only ones to know of her old life, and Batman had promised he would work to find Naomi's true family. But it was impossible to tell where Naomi might have been born, or even where she was raised. Despite her accent-less English, she spoke many other languages fluently, a strict requirement that Naomi told Bruce about.

Naomi sighed and climbed into bed, shutting off the lights as she did.

* * *

 **A/N: Hope you enjoyed. Until next time :)**

 **And remember, comment who you think Lilith should be paired with!**


	13. Fragments of History

**A/N: I own nothing you recognize.**

 **Kinda a short chapter. I wanted to give you all a little bit more background on Lilith. Hope you enjoy. And if you have any questions about Lilith, don't hesitate to ask!**

 **Thank you for the follows, favorites, and comments. I smile every time I see the number rise.**

 **And for those who have been telling me who they think should be paired with Lilith, thanks so much! I'm taking into consideration every option, and hopefully I can get that across in story soon.**

 **If you haven't yet, let me know! I would love to know who you think should be Lilith's partner in crime, so to speak haha.**

* * *

 **Gotham City  
September 19, 2037 EDT**

Naomi picked up her buzzing phone and held it to her ear without checking the caller I.D. "Hello?" she said.

"Something's come up," came Bruce's immediate response and Naomi sat up straighter. "Alfred is coming to get you. Be dressed as a civilian, but bring your uniform. You may need it."

"Roger," Naomi said. "See you then." Bruce hung up and Naomi quickly scrambled to get her things together. She kept her jeans and top, adding a slim black leather jacket and black knee-length boots. Naomi slid her daggers in her boots and her guns under her jacket. She carefully folded her bodysuit and placed her utility belt and an extra gun on top.

"I'm heading to work," Naomi called, the Scott's code for her to use if she was called in by Bruce.

"Alright, honey," Lisa said as Naomi passed the kitchen. "Be safe."

"Of course," Naomi said with a smirk. "Am I ever anything else?"

Lisa rolled her eyes but smiled. "Love you."

"Love you too," Naomi said, her lips lifting in a real smile. "Bye!"

Just as Naomi stepped on the front porch, Alfred pulled up in the car. Naomi quickly slid into the passenger's seat.

"Good evening, Miss Naomi," Alfred greeted.

"Hey, Alfred," Naomi answered with a smile. "Do you know what Bruce wanted?"

"I am afraid I do not," Alfred said. "My apologies, dear."

"No need to apologize," Naomi reassured. The drive to the Wayne Manor was short and filled with easy conversation. As they pulled into the driveway, Naomi saw Bruce standing in his civvies. Naomi put on her dark sunglasses and stepped out of the car.

"What is it?" she asked as soon as she reached him.

"We need to get dressed," was all he said. "Meet me in the Batcave when you're done. And Dick's not here, so don't worry about that."

Naomi nodded and hurried to a bathroom to change. A few minutes later, she made her way down to the Batcave. "Will you please tell me what's going on?" she said once she had reached Batman.

"For this, we need to go to the police department," Batman explained. He called the Batmobile and Lilith climbed in.

In a few minutes, they reached the Gotham City Police Department, and were greeted by James Gordon. Gordon sighed when they entered. "I'm sorry we had to meet under such dire circumstances."

"What is going on?!" Lilith demanded, throwing a glare at the two of them.

"You'd better follow me," Gordon said, and he turned and walked down the hall.

They reached a cell and Lilith furrowed her brows. "Who is this?" she asked.

"Won't give a name," Gordon responded. "He just keeps saying one thing: _Tonitrua gravitatem, sed fulgur agit_."

Gordon stumbled over the Latin words, but Lilith understood. She visible stiffened and she whirled to face Batman. "You _told_ him?!"

Batman didn't flinch. "He is a trusted ally and friend," he assured.

"That doesn't mean you tell him!" Lilith yelled, glaring venomously at Batman.

"I didn't tell him everything," Batman said.

"What is he saying?" Gordon wondered.

Lilith sighed. "Loosely translated, it's _Thunder is impressive, but it is lightning that does the work_. It's a twist on a quote from Mark Twain."

"So you know what he's saying, but you don't know him?" Gordon asked, raising a disbelieving eyebrow.

Lilith glowered at him. "They were a big group," she snapped. "Even my superior's superior was a little rat compared to the big bosses on top. This could be anyone."

Suddenly the man chuckled. He lifted his head, and Lilith got a good look at him for the first time. He was probably in his early forties with dark brown hair and icy blue eyes that sent chills up Lilith's spine. He was fair skinned and was built leanly.

" _You know exactly who I am,_ " the man said with a smirk.

Lilith's eyes narrowed and she approached the bars. " _Do you know who I am?_ " she asked in the same language.

" _But of course,_ " the man said.

" _Then tell me_ ," Lilith said lowly.

" _Uh, uh, uh,_ " the man reprimanded in a sing-song voice. " _Doesn't work like that, Tigress._ "

Lilith gasped and she took an involuntary step back as the memory resurfaced.

 _"Don't forget you're supposed to be in Lab 4 in ten minutes," Irene reminded Agent 23._

 _"Yes, ma'am," Agent 23 said, glancing up from her studies. The girl, now eight, stood and put her things in her room before heading out of the common room and toward Lab 4._

 _When she reached the lab, Dr. Leonard Rochester looked up from his desk and smiled. "Right on time, dear," he said. Agent 23 slowly approached the doctor._

 _"What am I doing for you today, Dr. Rochester?" she asked._

 _"Just basic chores," Dr. Rochester informed her._

 _"Yes, sir," Agent 23 acknowledged before turning and setting to work._

 _An hour later, Agent 23 was nearly done. She had just crawled forward to retrieve an old test tube when a loud noise startled her. Her head snapped up and bumped the shelf above her. The first test tube shattered on her back, covering her in…something. More test tubes fell from the shelf and broke around her, covering her in a number of different chemicals._

 _"Doctor!" Agent 23 shrieked. "What are these?"_

 _Dr. Rochester slowly approached Agent 23. "There's no telling what exactly were in those tubes."_

 _Agent 23 tried getting to her feet, but her hand slipped in the liquids and she collapsed again, banging her head against the corner of the shelf._

"Dr. Rochester," Lilith said weakly.

Dr. Rochester chuckled. "Well done, child," he said in heavily accented English.

"Wh-what are you doing here?" Lilith asked.

"I've come for you, of course," Dr. Rochester responded. " _He_ so misses you."

"He didn't have time to know me," Lilith hissed. "I left."

"Ten years is plenty time to get to know someone," Dr. Rochester insisted.

"I don't believe you," Lilith said softly. "He would know better than to let you go around blabbing."

"Alright, you caught me," Dr. Rochester admitted with a careless shrug. "But perhaps I was just waiting for you to arrive so that He could get you himself."

Lilith's eyes narrowed. "No!" she snarled at him. "No, He doesn't know where I am, or where you are! I'm never going back."

Dr. Rochester tsked and shook his head. "Never is such a long time," he pointed out. "I'm sure He will find a way."

"Not if I can help it," Lilith responded softly, her glare never wavering from Dr. Rochester's blue eyes. He broke his gaze first and Lilith smirked; he may have been employed by Him, but he didn't have her training. Lilith turned to Batman and said, "We're done here." She stalked out of the police department without waiting for Batman's response and waited patiently by the Batmobile.

When Batman unlocked the car, Lilith climbed in stoically, staring straight ahead and sitting stiffly in the seat.

"Anything you want to talk about?" Lilith glanced up and saw Batman had taken off his mask. She followed suit and sighed, tracing the edge of the mask with the tips of her fingers.

"Seeing that man…" Naomi started. "He was the one who changed me. I know he and everyone else told me I was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time, but I just have a feeling it was all planned."

"Do you know why he would do that?" Bruce asked.

"No," Naomi huffed in annoyance. "It makes no logical sense. Their whole gimmick is training non-powered humans how to fight. One of their mottos is _Lorem quando incidunt, ingeniosi resurget_ , or 'When the powered fall, the talented will rise.'"

"But you think you have an idea," Bruce prompted.

Naomi gave a short, humorless laugh. "You always were sharp, Bruce," she said. Her eyebrows pinched in thought and she said, "But yeah, I think they were trying to figure out a way to make their talented powerful."

"They wanted the best of both worlds," he summarized.

"That's what I believe," Naomi said. She shook her head. "He was never good about moderation. Enough was never quite enough with Him."

"And you say you never heard if someone was in a lab accident?" Bruce asked.

Naomi shook her head. "They never brought it up. But every once and a while, a girl would disappear after a trip to Lab 4."

"And no one suspected anything?" he inquired.

"I'm not sure," Naomi sighed. "It was one of those environments where you never voiced your opinions."

After a pause, Bruce asked, "Do you ever wonder why they let you stay?"

"I'm sure it's because the chemicals didn't change me physically," Naomi answered immediately. "I mean, I never saw any of the other lab rats, but I can only assume they wouldn't want their agents questioning their motives."

"We both know that's not completely true," Bruce said lowly, and Naomi unconsciously reached up to touch the corner of her eye.

It was true; she never suffered any obvious signs of the chemicals. But one thing had changed, and it was an odd one. The next morning, when Agent 23 had looked in the mirror, her dark brown eyes had changed, though minutely. Agent 23 had watched as she turned her head, and gasped when her eyes flashed a cat-like yellow-green. But as soon as she had snapped her gaze forward, the iris had returned to their normal dark brown.

"Well, for a bunch of specially-trained agents, none of them were very observant," Naomi said, laughing slightly at the irony.

They arrived at the Batcave and Lilith slipped on her mask before climbed out of the car.

"Where've you been?" came Dick's disgruntled voice.

"There was some business Lilith and I needed to take care of," Batman responded.

"Without me?" Dick grumbled.

"Get used to it, Wonder Boy," Lilith snapped, raising an eyebrow. "I had some personal business to attend to, and Bruce helped me."

"Oh," Dick said dumbly. "Right. Sorry…"

Lilith sighed. "Apology accepted," she said. "I shouldn't have snapped like that." Dick widened his eyes comically and Lilith rolled her eyes. "Don't act so surprised," she said, reaching out and shoving his shoulder lightly. "I can be a nice person."

Dick smiled. "I never doubted that," he said confidently.

Lilith was slightly taken aback at his statement, but a small smile crossed her lips. "Thanks, Bird Brain."

Dick rolled his eyes but let it slide. Together, the pair walked out of the Batcave and to the kitchen, where Alfred was preparing them a late dinner.

* * *

 **A/N:** **Hope you enjoyed :) Let me know what you think, about Lilith, about her past, about the story, anything! Until next time.**

 **P.S. Help! I can't figure out if there should be a Roy/Lilith friendship. What do you think?**


	14. Homefront

**A/N: I own nothing you recognize.**

 **Thanks for all the comments, follows, and favorites. It really means a lot.**

 **WhitePrincessofWonderland: I am currently working on the Roy/Lilith chapter. It's taking me forever, so thank goodness I have other chapters to post!**

 **MoustacedCat (guest, Chapter 8): I'm glad you like the Lilith/Robin moments. Keep in mind, I am unsure if I will have them end up as a couple, but if you say the word, I can add it to the tally!**

 **Guest (chapter 13): Thanks! I love writing Lilith's soft side; it's fun to write the different sides of her. As I told WhitePrincessofWonderland, I am working on the Roy/Lilith relationship!**

 **Cheshire Kitty 101 (chapter 1): Lilith speaks many languages fluently, so all the italicized words are in different languages. I used Google Translate, and so I checked and double-checked that the word didn't change as it went through translation.**

 **ShadowXMoonlight: Thanks!**

 **Guest (chapter 13): I am still unsure who Lilith will be shipped with, but Kaldur is definitely high on the list!**

 **MelissaNoir (guest): Thanks so much! I'm glad you're enjoying it so far.**

* * *

 **Gotham City  
September 22, 0504 EDT**

 _"You've been a very naughty girl."_

 _The child in question, not more than five years of age, gasped and whirled around, her small fingers leaving the keyboard. "P-please," she begged. "I-I was just—"_

 _"I know what you were doing," the older woman snapped, marching forward and grabbing the girl roughly by the arm. "You're trying to find your family," she said mockingly. "Well get over it!" the woman exclaimed, pulling the child along behind her. "I've told you once, I'll tell you again. You are never leaving."_

 _The pair reached a wide set of doors which opened silently. The woman shoved the girl in, and the doors slid together again._

 _"Agent 23 again, Master," the woman said, bowing her head. The girl quickly followed suit, biting her lip to keep her whimpers silent._

 _"Ah, yes." A voice in the dark chilled the young child to the bones, and this time she couldn't keep the noises in. "Hush now, child," the voice purred. "You know the procedure."_

 _The woman led Agent 23 to the middle of the room, where a metal table lay under a single overhead light. Leather straps with brass buckles were currently unlatched, but Agent 23 knew better. Slowly she climbed onto the cold bed and lay still as the woman strapped her in._

 _"You know, child, it's strange," the voice spoke again. "For someone who always rebels, you always follow the rules, too."_

 _Agent 23 didn't respond. The woman tightened the girl in and then stepped back into the shadows._

 _The girl saw the lights dim and felt something stick in her neck before she started screaming._

"Naomi! Naomi!"

Naomi woke with a strangle scream, her hair sticking to her damp, sweaty skin and the sheets tangled around her limbs.

"Hey," James said softly. Naomi snapped her attention to him. She started shaking and James quickly pulled her to his chest. "Shh," he hushed quietly. "You're safe. No one's going to hurt you."

"You don't know that," Naomi gasped out, her hand curled in a fist against James's bare chest.

James sighed against the top of Naomi's head. "You're right," he said softly. "I don't. But I won't let anyone hurt you."

James continued to gently rock Naomi until her breathing evened out. When she woke again, it was to the sound of her alarm.

She groaned as she sat up and rolled her neck to remove the kink. "I forgot school started today."

"Late start," James observed, leaning against the headboard and stretching his feet out in front of him.

"Yes, please make yourself at home," Naomi commented sarcastically, walking to her closet and getting a uniform for the day.

"Don't mind if I do," James said, fluttering his hand in front of him.

Naomi rolled her eyes. "Just be gone by the time I'm done with my shower," she said, strolling out of her room.

Half an hour later, Naomi was down in the kitchen looking for breakfast. She found what she was looking for and then grabbed her things and headed out the door.

When she reached Gotham Academy, Naomi went to her usual sunny spot in the courtyard. She plopped on the soft grass and leaned against a tree trunk and bit into the crisp apple she had taken from the fruit basket.

It wasn't long before the others joined her, and soon, she was laughing with her friends.

Ten minutes before the first bell was to ring, a voice called, "Naomi, may I see you for a moment?" Naomi glanced over Liz's shoulder and found her favorite teacher, Ms. Farnsworth, standing over them.

"Of course," Naomi said with a smile. "I'll be right back," she said to the others before following Ms. Farnsworth a little ways away.

"We have a new student," Ms. Farnsworth started. "Artemis Crock." Naomi's eyes widened fractionally before she returned to a façade of cool interest. "She's going to be a sophomore, and I wondered if you could show her around. I know you're a grade above her, but her schedule is very similar to yours from last year."

"Which means she gets you as her awesome history teacher?" Naomi asked with a smile.

Ms. Farnsworth smiled and laughed. "I suppose so," she said. "She's just over there." Ms. Farnsworth pointed to Artemis, who stood in the middle of the main courtyard. Naomi almost didn't recognized her in the school uniform—pleated navy skirt that reached the knees, black closed-toed shoes with white socks, a white button-up shirt with a red tie, and a navy blue blazer. Naomi gazed at Artemis with a sympathetic smile; Artemis was tugging at her skin in vain, trying to get it to lower.

"I'll go over now," Naomi said.

"Thanks so much, dear," Ms. Farnsworth said before turning and walking back in the direction she had come.

* * *

"Artemis?" the blonde heard someone say. "I'm Naomi," the girl introduced, "your new student liaison. Welcome to Gotham Academy."

Artemis glanced up and saw a pretty dark-haired girl standing in front of her with a warm smile. "Thanks," Artemis said. She cleared her throat awkwardly. "I'm Artemis," she said, "but you knew that."

Just then, a boy wearing khaki-colored slacks—the only difference between the girls' uniforms and the boys' uniforms—ran up and put an arm around Artemis's shoulders. He held his phone above them and said, "We'll laugh about this someday." He caught a picture with a surprised-looking Artemis, and Naomi bit her lip to keep from laughing. Of course Dick would approach them.

Artemis blinked her eyes and glanced around as the bell rang. "Uh, who's that?" she asked.

"A freshman," Naomi said with an amused smile. "He's completely harmless."

"You know him?" Artemis questioned.

"Of him, yes," Naomi answered. "Let me run and get my stuff, and then I can show you around the school a little."

"Okay," Artemis said. "Thanks."

"Of course," Naomi said with a smile. "I'll be right back."

She passed a young red-headed girl leaning against one of the columns. "Dick, what was that about?" Naomi heard the girl ask, and she chuckled at the hint of jealously coloring the girl's tone.

Dick scoffed. "Nothing, Barbara," he assured with a laugh. "Just being friendly to the new girl." The girl, Barbara, walked away and Dick glanced down at his phone.

He was so involved with his phone he didn't realize someone had passed him until he felt someone brush against him. Dick glanced up and was surprised to see the girl from the mall. She gave him a smirk and Dick swore she winked but she was turning her head before he could process what had happened.

"Come on, Dick!" he heard Barbara call out impatiently. "We're going to be late!"

"Coming!" Dick called and stuffed his phone in his pocket. He glanced behind him and watched as the girl turned a corner and disappeared from sight.

* * *

 **Gotham City  
September 22, 1845 EDT**

Lilith dusted off her hands as the police arrived to apprehend the robbers. She ducked into the shadows as the first car pulled up and she crept her way to the out-of-order payphone booth that acted as Gotham City's zeta-beam teleporter.

She saw Artemis approach the payphone, and Lilith quickly scaled the rusted fire escape so she was above Artemis.

Just as Artemis was about to push open the door, Robin popped out and exclaimed, "Artemis?" in a falsely surprised voice. Lilith bit her lip to stifle her laughter.

Artemis gasped. "Robin?" she said in a _really-world-you-had-to-do-this-to-me_ voice. "I, uh…"

"How random that you're in Gotham City," Robin continued in the same tone, "instead of Star City where your _Uncle_ Green Arrow lives."

"I'm, uh, here to see my cousin," Artemis stammered. Lilith sighed and shook her head; she would have to work with Artemis on her lying skills. "She was in the state spelling bee, here, in Gotham City."

"C-O-O-L," Robin said. "Did she W-I-N?" he asked.

"N-O," Artemis said, and Lilith could tell she was narrowing her eyes at Robin.

"D-R-A-G," Robin spelled, thought he certainly didn't sound like he thought so.

Lilith decided to make her presence known, so she dropped down from the fire escape and landed softly between the two.

"Lilith?!" Artemis exclaimed.

"Fancy seeing you here," she replied, her tone light.

"What are you doing here?" Artemis asked, sounding wary.

"Just came from a bank robbery," Lilith said with a shrug. "What've you two been up to?" she asked conversationally.

"I was at a state spelling bee," Artemis said through gritted teeth.

"I was helping her at the spelling bee," Robin stumbled. Lilith bit the inside of her lip to keep from bursting out laughing.

"Sounds…educational," Lilith said, barely managing to keep a straight face.

"Yeah," Artemis said quickly. "Let's just go to the Cave."

"Ladies first," Robin said, bowing at them.

"Your town," Artemis snapped. "You go."

Robin shrugged and pushed open the doors and stepped in.

"Recognized: Robin, B-0-2," the automated voice said. He disappeared in a flash of golden light. Lilith gestured for Artemis to go before her. "Recognized: Artemis, B-0-8." Finally, Lilith stepped in. "Recognized: Lilith, B-0-1."

When Lilith reached the Cave, she registered several things at once. First: the Cave was unusually warm. Second: a smoky smell had permeated everything. And third: the transportation room was filled with flames.

Lilith saw Artemis handspring away, and Lilith started to run too. A fireball flew toward the zeta-beam teleporters, and its explosion blew Lilith forward. She hit the wall with a thud and fell to the ground with a groan.

Artemis had rushed to her side, and Robin had landed in front of them, throwing disks at the unseen adversary.

Lilith quickly scrambled to her feet and pulled out two guns. Beside her, Artemis drew her bow and Robin continued throwing disks. Somewhere in the smoke, Lilith heard the ammunition hit metal targets, and a sinking feeling came over her just as another fireball was hurtled at them. Robin dodged out of the way and Lilith and Artemis hit the ground.

"Who are we fighting?" Artemis yelled as she sprang to her feet and continued firing arrows.

"I hate to think," Lilith called back.

"Don't know," Robin said, backing up so he was even with Lilith and Artemis. "But we're sitting ducks by these tubes. Head for the exit!"

They took off as another fireball went hurtling over their heads. No sooner had they reached the tunnel, however, a wave barred their way.

"Or not," Robin said. They started running away but the wave caught them and slammed them into a wall. The impact made Lilith lose her breath, and she was glad the water began receding almost immediately so she could catch her breath. They sprang to their feet and took off again, a fireball landing behind them.

As they approached double doors, they slid open to let Robin pass, Artemis and Lilith right behind him. As they ran past the various workout equipment, Robin called, "Robin to Team! Come in. Aqualad!"

A fireball exploded the doors behind them, and Lilith was pushed forward. She quickly scramble to her feet and began running again as a fiery tornado began following them. The sinking feeling grew worse in Lilith's gut.

"Robin to Batcave. Override R-G-4," Robin called as they rounded a corner and kept running. They ran past the lockers and into the common shower. "Cave calling Justice League," Robin continued as he and Artemis began turning all the taps. "H-O-J slash Watchtower. B-0-2. Priority Red." Lilith dashed under the water as it came to life and let it soak her before she helped finish opening the taps. "Comm is down," Robin reported. "Locked. At least the water's helping."

Lilith froze when she was as pieces began to click. "Oh no," she breathed.

"What?" Artemis demanded. "What is it?"

"The water," Lilith said just as the walls began to creak and shake. Taps began shooting off, and the showerheads dropped.

"Or not," Robin said as the water started to rise. Lilith sucked in a deep breath before her head slipped under.

Robin swam forward and placed an explosive disk on the wall. They were washed into the hall, and Artemis gasped for breath. Lilith took off toward the kitchen and the others followed.

"We need to get lost," Lilith said.

"The air vent!" Artemis exclaimed.

"Good," Robin said. "Go!" Artemis ran for the vent over the stove and Lilith saw Robin pause to hook up to the keypad by the doorway.

"What are you—" Lilith started to ask before Robin said, "Downloading Cave blueprints. Could come in…" Before he could finish, Lilith heard the sound of metal footsteps. "Go, go!" he whispered, pushing Lilith in front of him as they ran to the vent. Lilith jumped onto the stove and then jumped straight up into the vent, grabbing onto the edge as it bent.

"Cover our tracks!" Lilith hissed behind her. They reached the main air duct and Robin pulled up the blueprints.

"Go left," he said. Artemis hurried forward and Lilith pulled up next to Lilith. Just as they turned, a blast of heat came from behind them.

"Too close," Lilith gasped.

"Take the first right," Robin directed. He consulted the blueprints again. "There should be a vent cover right in front of you." Artemis pulled it down and they climbed through, Lilith pulling the cover after her before she slid down the vent. She landed softly after Artemis and Robin, and she picked up the cover.

"Give me a boost," she said. "Now!"

Artemis quickly crouched and laced her fingers together, standing and lifting Lilith high enough to snap the vent cover back in place. Artemis carefully lowered her to the ground, and Robin pulled up the blueprints.

"This way," he said and he led them down a short flight of stairs.

A roar of fire came from behind them, and Lilith whipped around to see a figure standing in the middle of an inferno. Lilith jumped from the landing they were on and hit the ground running. She noticed a machine's thermometer rapidly rising.

"That's not good," Robin muttered as it started beeping. Lilith quickly shoved him and Artemis ahead of her as the metal covering started sparking with electricity. As they ran, bursts of hot air hissed down on them and Lilith cringed every time they brushed her. She had heard horror stories of air so hot, it burned people straight to the bone, cauterizing as it went and leaving doctors to treat for shock.

They ran under the burning figure, and more fireballs were sent toward them, exploding on their heels. Robin ducked behind a machine and had to yank Lilith toward him. She stumbled into his chest as a fireball landed where she had been standing a second before. Lilith scrambled back and Robin went back to the blueprints.

"I know that other access tunnel is here somewhere," he said desperately.

"You mean this one?" Lilith asked, and Robin glanced up in time to see Artemis drop through. Lilith watched as Robin placed an explosive disk on the machine they were hiding behind and he jumped through, Lilith pulling the grate shut over her.

Lilith rolled out of her landing and bumped into Robin, who had paused to hook himself up again.

"Sorry," she muttered.

"It's fine," Robin said. "Locking out Cave's motion and heat sensors to prevent the enemy from tracking us," he explained, his fingers flying over the holographic keyboard.

"And I ask again, who is the enemy?" Artemis demanded.

"Let's find out," Robin said with a confident smirk. "Downloading Cave security footage," Robin narrated. "There."

Four images appeared, and the top left one zoomed in.

It showed Wally kneeling by Conner's motorcycle, with Conner, M'gann, and Sphere watching.

"Torque wrench," Wally requested as Kaldur approached them.

M'gann levitated the asked-for took toward him. "Thank you, Green Cheeks," he said.

"I have been meaning to ask," Kaldur said once he had approached them, "any problems juggling schoolwork with your responsibilities here?"

"No," Conner said, sounding bored.

"Juggling's just one of my many talents," Wally said. "Socket wrench."

"Daily cheerleading practice has presented a challenge," M'gann commented as she passed the tool to Wally.

"Really?" Lilith muttered. "Cheerleading?"

"Oh, but my first loyalty is always to the Team," M'gann added quickly. "This Team, not the Bumblebees."

"Good grief," Lilith said. "Is this for real?"

"Artemis starts school today," Kaldur mentioned. "Do you think _she_ will have trouble maintaining her loyalties?" Lilith's eyes widened fractionally at the underlying question Kaldur was posing. Artemis's eyes narrowed.

"Nah, she'll manage alright," Wally said, standing. "I mean, how much more hostile and annoying—" Wally was cut off when an explosion went off, and the camera went dead.

"What happened?" Artemis asked.

"Explosion took out the camera," Lilith grumbled.

"I know that!" Artemis snapped. "I meant, what happened to the Team?"

"I'll find another angle," Robin said and fiddled with the keys again. They watched as the water erupted from the pool and aimed for the four, as another wave took out a camera. Another camera showed them springing into action before another wave knocked them, and the camera, out. The last one showed Kaldur and M'gann hurrying to the spot where the Bioship was normally parked as an explosion started beside them, ripping out the camera.

"That's it," Robin whispered. "All four are dead." Artemis stared at him in horror, and when Robin glanced over at her, he quickly corrected himself. "The cameras!" he said. "I-I meant the cameras. I-I'm sure the others are okay. Just, give me a sec to find the fastest route to the hanger."

"Yeah, they're fine," Artemis said sarcastically, throwing herself against the curved wall of the vent and pulling her knees to her chest. "They've all got superpowers. They can handle anything." She sounded bitter.

"But sometimes, that's what makes us special," Lilith said softly, reaching out and gently touching Artemis's shoulder. "We learn to fight a battle they could never hope to win. We know the human body and what makes it weak, what makes it fall. We know more than they possibly can. I mean, think about it," Lilith said. "Each of us has a skill the others couldn't possibly begin to image."

"Thanks," Artemis said, looking at Lilith and gazing at the white that covered her eyes. Lilith smiled.

"Found it," Robin informed them, and they took off.

When they reached their destination, Robin slowly removed a panel of the vent. They hopped out and Robin hurried down the stairs.

"There's a secret passage behind one of these bookcases," he said.

"Seriously?" Artemis whispered as Robin and Lilith jumped over the railing. "Cliché much?"

"You should see the Batcave," Robin joked.

"I know where it is," Lilith said, and Robin let her take the front.

A door opened somewhere behind them, and Robin had to pull Lilith behind a bookcase.

"But it's just up there!" she whispered, her eyes wide.

"And so is whatever it is that's following us," Artemis snapped. Lilith huffed and pulled out a gun, holding it with both hands. Robin pulled out two disks, and Artemis notched an arrow.

The metal footsteps drew closer, and when it spoke, Lilith's stomach dropped to her feet.

"Lilith," the robotic voice called out. "Robin, Artemis."

"It's Red Tornado!" Artemis exclaimed happily.

"No!" Lilith whisper-screamed, but Artemis had already jumped out from behind the bookshelf. Lilith watched as Artemis gasped and her eyes grew wide as she took in the red robot before her.

"Yes on the red, no on the tornado!" Robin yelled as he threw himself against Artemis as the android reached forward to grab her. Lilith watched as they rolled under a table, and she quickly leapt on top of the bookcase and started shooting. She saw Robin and Artemis run for the exit, and suddenly, a female android clanked forward. She raised her arms and her hands began to glow as Artemis and Robin dodged out of the way.

Robin followed Lilith's lead and took the high ground, though across the way from her.

"Who? What are they?" Artemis yelled as she followed Robin. Lilith pulled out a second gun and continued shooting. They marched straight past her, not even acknowledging her presence.

"Well that's insulting," Lilith muttered to herself as she hopped from case to case.

Robin jumped down but Artemis turned and shot an arrow at the two android. The male simply raised his hand and a water shield formed, stopping the arrow. The female reached forward and gave a bookcase a shove, which started a domino effect. Robin had just pulled the book that opened the secret passage when Artemis pushed him into it, narrowly avoiding getting crushed. They ran down the stairs as the bookcase slid shut behind them.

Lilith continued to leap across the top of the bookcases until she was across the way from the androids, who had stopped at the last tilted bookcase. She made a flying leap and landed on the back of the male android. The sister raised her arm.

"You blast me, you blast him!" Lilith yelled, locking her arms and legs around the android's neck and torso. The female froze, and the male struggled to reach around to throw her off. Lilith tapped her left wrist, and a cuff of what looked like bullets began to glow. She balled her fist and began punching the android's neck. With each hit, a jolt of electricity charred the metal surface. Once Lilith began to expose wires, she threw one more punch, this time keeping her fist jammed in the neck. Electricity shot around the android's system, shorting it out. As Lilith had suspected, the outer layer of metal was insulated to keep the power flow from charring the metal.

The android swayed on its feet and fell back. Lilith quickly untangled herself and tried to leap off the android's shoulders as it fell, but her foot got caught in the hole she had made in the neck and she fell on her back. She started to get to her feet when she saw something red flash out of the corner of her eye, and she stumbled forward blindly, a searing pain at her left temple. She felt warm blood trickle over her face, and she reached out. A heavy metal foot shot out and caught Lilith in the chest, knocking the breath out of her. Her back slammed into a bookcase and she fell to the ground, struggling to her feet. Something caught her in the chest and she felt the pain before she could block it. Lilith screwed her face in concentration, but before long, the electric shock grew to be too much and Lilith let out a strangled scream before she slumped into unconsciousness.

* * *

"What of Robin?"

Sounds faded in and out.

Vaguely, Lilith heard someone cough somewhere near her, and someone exclaimed, "He-he's breathing too."

"Ahh," someone else panted. "Way to get traught."

 _Not…not how you use it._

"Lilith!"

Lilith struggled to open her eyes, but she only managed to squint. "Hang in there," a voice said softly in her ear as her eyes fluttered shut again.

 _Hang in there…Hang in there…Hang in there…_

* * *

"Figured my only shot was to surrender, pretend to drown before I actually did. Blacked out, though."

Lilith groaned and tried to turn her head. "You," she rasped. "You're ridiculous."

"You're awake!" Robin exclaimed.

"Inside voice, please," Lilith said gruffly. Her fingers twitched and jerkily she brought her hand to her temple. Her hand brushed something as it went limp, and she realized her hand was in someone's lap.

"M'gann!" Conner said somewhere above her.

"I'll be fine," Lilith heard M'gann respond weakly.

"Will you quite playing with that thing and cut us free already?" Wally snapped. Lilith cringed and tried to curl into a ball to hide her head.

"It's not working, genius," came Artemis's snapped response. "EMP shuts down _all_ machines, remember?"

"Shh!" Robin hissed, reaching down to hold Lilith's head steady.

"All machines present at the time."

Lilith gasped and sat up quickly, reaching for her gun without a second's thought. She aimed it at Red Tornado and fired three times, though she knew it wouldn't do any good, before someone grabbed the weapon from her hand along with the others on her person.

"Whoa," Robin called from behind Lilith. "It's just R.T."

"Right," Lilith breathed out, though she didn't sound convinced. "Right, of course. I apologize, Red Tornado."

"Apology accepted," Red Tornado said and Lilith nodded, pulling her knees to her chest. "What has occurred?"

"Had a little visit from your family," Lilith said slowly, glancing between Red Tornado and the two Reds on the floor, hoping to catch a glimpse of recognition.

"Your extremely _nasty_ family!" Artemis added, looking miffed.

"I was not aware I had relations," Red Tornado responded, and Lilith huffed internally at the minimal inflection a robot was able to voice.

"Where have you been?" Conner asked, and given the circumstance, Lilith was surprised at his lack of venom.

"Monitor duty on the Watchtower," Red Tornado informed them, stepping closer to the two Reds.

"I thought you were exempt," Lilith said, now rubbing her forehead to try to alleviate some pain.

"Green Arrow was unavailable and I said I would step in," Red Tornado explained, and Lilith pursed her lips. _Since when has the Watchtower ever been short of monitors?_ "When it became clear Cave communications were down, I attempted to investigate," Red Tornado said further. "But your zeta tubes were also nonfunctional. I transported to Providence and proceeded here."

Behind him, Sphere began to whir and Lilith's eyes widened at the implication.

"Hey, boy," Conner said weakly as Sphere dislodged itself from the wall in which it was embedded. Artemis pressed a button on the machine she was holding and a red beam shot out.

In unison, Wally and Robin exclaimed, "The pulse has worn off."

Lilith watched with trepidation as Red Tornado reached down toward the female android's hand. A spark passed between them, and her eyes began to glow. Red Tornado rose in his famous red tornado and two more formed around his hands.

Lilith watched as around her, the Team began to gasp for air and pass out. She clutched her throat and tried desperately to breath, and her eyes searched wildly for Red Tornado through the debris. Though she knew he was an android and therefore was devoid of emotion, something just felt _off_ as she gazed at his form. Lilith turned on her side, her back to Red Tornado, in an effort to keep the air from being sucked from her lungs, but the vacuum that had formed was enough. Lilith tried to blink the spots from her vision, but she eventually fell unconscious again.

* * *

 _Agent 23 gathered with the other girls in the mess hall. It was time for dinner, but for some reason, food wasn't being passed around. The twenty-nine girls, ranging from age five to seventeen, sat in complete silence, all of them barely daring to breath._

 _Finally, Irene stepped front. "As you might have noticed, there is an empty seat among you." Agent 23 had indeed spotted an empty seat in the seventeen-year-old section, but like everyone else, hadn't dared mention it. "Agent 3 has decided she no longer wishes to be a part of this sisterhood." Irene let the ripple of whispers break out momentarily before she cleared her throat and the hall fell silent again. "By turning her back on the sisterhood, she has consequently sealed her fate as a traitor and enemy. She will be dealt with." Agent 23 shivered, and she knew the other girls had done the same. Irene clapped her hands, and the servers immediately emerged from the kitchen, bearing trays of hot food._

 _Agent 23 stared at the soup and bread before her as she thought about Agent 3. As one of the older girls, it had been her responsibility to care for the younger girls during their down time. Though the two would have never shown it publically, Agents 3 and 23 had formed a special bond, 23 looking up to 3 as an older sister. 23 had no idea what 3 had planned, and the fact that she had been left out stung. Though 23 was only six, she knew how to keep a secret; they all did._

 _"Better eat, Agent 23," Irene said, stepping behind the girl. "You'll want your strength for this evening's activities."_

 _23 nodded quickly and began to scarf her food, immediately regretting it as the thick, hot soup burned its way down her throat. She reached for the cool water, but it surprised her by jumping forward and splashing her in the face._

 _"Lilith."_

 _23 turned her head wildly, trying to detect if anyone of the other girls had heard the strange voice call out the strange name._

 _"Lilith!" the voice came again. 23 let out a whimper, which soon turned into full out screams as her body started to shake violently. She lashed out, grabbing her dining knife and slashing wildly. She was surprised when the knife came into contact with something solid, something that she couldn't see. An unheard voice cursed out, and then something slapped her across the face._

Lilith bolted upright, gasping and looking around wildly. She noticed one of her daggers was in her hand, and that one side was shiny with new blood. Her initial angry thoughts at whoever poured water on her face left quickly as her eyes widened when she realized she had acted out her dream, and that she had accidentally sliced Robin's arm.

"I'm so sorry!" Lilith said frantically, dropping the knife and scrambling to her knees. "I thought I was under attack and my instincts must have kicked in—"

"It's okay," Robin said, and Lilith was slightly taken aback by the sincerity in his tone. "I know what it's like to have a dream so real you act it out in you sleep."

"Who slapped me?" Lilith asked, raising a hand to her tender cheek.

"I did," Batman said, and Lilith glanced behind her to see him kneeling on the ground.

"And who poured water on me?" she asked next, though she had a good idea she knew who.

Robin rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. "That might have been me," he admitted. "Sorry."

Lilith sighed. "Be glad this didn't happen under normal circumstances," she said with a weak laugh.

"She's alright," Lilith heard Superman call out, and she glanced around and saw Artemis standing. She looked around and saw Flash attending Wally, Captain Atom getting Conner, J'onn kneeled beside M'gann, and Aquaman standing with Kaldur. Green Arrow and Black Canary stood off to the side, watching on.

"What happened here?" Superman asked.

"What happened?" Artemis said incredulously. "The Reds happened!" she exclaimed. "Tornado and his…Wait, where are they?" she gasped, searching frantically for them.

"Gone," Robin said grimly, and Lilith felt her face fall. "All three of them. Gone."

* * *

 **A/N: Hope you enjoyed!**

 **If you have any questions, feel free to ask. And let me know who you think Lilith should be shipped with! Until next time.**


	15. Alpha Male

**A/N: I own nothing you recognize.**

 **Thank you for all the follows, favorites, and comments! It really brightens my day when I'm feeling kinda down.**

 **alex . young . 177, MoustachedCat (guest), ShadowXMoonlight, and RavenDeathGirl909: Thanks so much! That really means a lot.**

* * *

 **Gotham City  
September 23, 0434 EDT**

When Lilith finally woke, she discovered she wasn't in her bed. The mattress beneath her was thin and felt like cardboard, and she groaned. _Hospital_ , she thought with a huff.

A dull throbbing started in her skull and she raised her hand to her head but winced when her movements tugged at the I.V. that had been set up.

"Glad to see you're awake."

Lilith turned her head and gasped. "Bruce!"

" _Naomi,_ " he emphasized, and she nodded her head in understanding.

"What happened to me?" Naomi asked, though she knew she wouldn't get the full story here.

"You tripped," Bruce said simply. "You hit your head on the corner of something as you fell forward, your hand contacted metal and you completed a circuit, you hit the back of your head when you collapsed, and uh, the air got thin and you lost consciousness."

"And the others…" Naomi asked slowly, the events of earlier starting to come flooding back.

"Perfectly fine and back at the, uh, house," Bruce informed.

"When can I get out of here?" Naomi asked.

"I'll make arrangements for you to leave now," Bruce said, standing. "I wanted to wait until you were awake." Naomi nodded and Bruce left. She glanced to the side and winced when she realized the Scotts were probably out of their mind with worry. Naomi left them a quick message, telling them she was fine and would be at the Cave for the day.

Two hours later, Lilith was back at the Cave. She was mostly steady on her feet, though Batman insisted on going through the zeta teleporters together, and once they were in the Cave, Lilith was glad for it; she never realized how disorienting it was to have her molecules scrambled and then put back together.

"Lilith!" M'gann exclaimed when they stepped out of the tubes.

"What are you doing up so early?" Lilith asked, wrapping her arm around M'gann, who had rushed forward.

"We've been waiting for you!" Artemis called from behind M'gann, and Lilith glanced over M'gann shoulder to see a table and benches had appeared out of the training room floor.

"Batman took you to a hospital as soon as he could," Kaldur told her.

"We've been worried sick!" M'gann finished.

"There are not many people who could survive two body-crippling shocks in the span of one month," Kaldur said as Lilith sank shakily into a place at the table beside Robin. Once the euphoria of the return of their fellow Teammate wore off, a somber feeling settled over the room.

Green Arrow placed a bowl of pretzels in front of Wally, who had his arms crossed over the table and his chin resting on his arms.

"Thanks," he said moodily, not moving. "But no thanks."

"Yeah," Robin spoke up. "What we _want_ are answers about Red Tornado and his siblings."

"Exactly!" Kid Flash exclaimed, sitting up and glaring at Green Arrow.

Green Arrow didn't say anything, just reached down to take the bowl of pretzels back.

"Leave the bowl," Wally said quickly in a small, _sorry-I-yelled-at-you-but-I-really-want-the-pretzels-to-stay_ tone. He immediately began munching on the snack and Lilith cracked a smile, causing Wally to grin.

Lilith looked around for Batman and saw him standing at the edge of the ring with Kaldur, and Lilith could guess what they were talking about.

"You knew?!" Conner suddenly roared, and Lilith groaned and clutched her head. She glanced up and saw Conner running at Kaldur, grabbing his shirt and pushing him backward. "That android and his maniac family nearly killed M'gann!" he yelled angrily.

"Conner, what are you doing?" M'gann asked in surprise, flying over to the pair.

"Kaldur knew we had a traitor among us and said nothing!" Conner said loudly, not taking his eyes of Kaldur.

"You knew?" Robin demanded, standing up and walking over.

"But didn't tell us?" Kid Flash finished.

"I sought to protect the Team from—" Kaldur attempted to placate the Team, but Artemis hadn't had her turn yet.

"Protect us from what?" she demanded. "Knowledge that might have saved our lives?"

"You almost died!" Conner said, finally turning to M'gann.

Lilith slammed her hand against the table, a thousand thoughts running through her head, and she ignored the sting in her palm and the ringing in her head. "Enough!" she screamed at them, getting to her feet and shoving Conner away from Kaldur. "All of you are behaving irrationally!"

"Did you know?" Conner growled in her face.

"Yes, I did," Lilith snapped, not baking down.

"Why did you tell her of all people?" Robin demanded.

"Think about it for two freaking seconds!" Lilith yelled, wincing slightly at her own raised volume. "If Kaldur had told any of you, everyone would have started pointing fingers and we would have achieved nothing! And don't interrupt me!" she added, throwing a glare at Wally who had opened his mouth. He closed it with a snap. "And if Kaldur had told anyone, would that information had helped us? No! Would you have suspected Red Tornado as the mole? Of course not!" she yelled. "Get your heads straightened on those supposedly capable shoulders and _think it through!_ "

When she finished, she was panting and glaring at everyone, who stared back in astonishment. Lilith felt her pulse at her hairline and she lifted her hand to it. She felt a raised line and something warm seeping through.

Batman stepped forward and placed a thick cloth on Lilith's head, holding it firmly in place while he turned to the others. "With Red Tornado…missing, the Team will now be overseen by rotating supervisors. Captain Marvel has volunteered to take the first shift."

Captain Marvel stepped forward and Lilith frowned. "I'm really looking forward to hanging with you guys," he said in a tone that didn't fit the mood of the room, and Lilith furrowed her eyebrows in confusion at his choice of word.

Everyone looked at each other, and then Conner turned to Kaldur. "After I dismantle Red Tornado, you and I are gonna—"

"Red Tornado is a member of the Justice League," Batman cut in, stepping away from Lilith so he could stand in front of Conner and Kaldur. "That makes him a League responsibility. You _will_ leave him to us." Batman turned away from them and gestured in midair, causing a screen to appear. "I have another assignment for this team," he said. Everyone turned to the newspaper clipping that had popped up.

" _Gotham Mayor Attacked by Guerilla Gorilla_?" Wally read out loud, sounding exasperated by the ridiculous title.

 _Was this the_ only _thing he could find to distract us?_ Conner growled through their psychic link.

"Batman, please!" Robin exclaimed. He took a step toward his mentor. "Tell me you're not sending us on this _joke_ of a wild ape chase!"

"I _never_ joke about the mission," Batman replied lowly, and Lilith saw Robin duck his head. "I've checked the sources. I've studied the patterns. Mayor Hill's encounter is only the latest in a series of incidents." Batman turned to Kaldur. "Aqualad, you and your Team will depart for India and check this out."

Aqualad nodded as the others walked by without a glance.

"Hmph," Kid Flash said as he passed. " _Your_ Team."

"Kaldur, I am so sorry," Lilith whispered as she watched the others stomp away.

Kaldur sighed. "It is not your fault," he said. "They are simply too caught up in the moment to see clearly." Lilith glanced up at him, and she knew it still stung him. He glanced down. "That is why I knew I could tell you. You are level-headed and think before you act." Lilith nodded, unsure what to say. "We had better get going," Aqualad informed her, and she nodded again.

They reached the hanger as Robin asked, "You're coming with?" Lilith glanced back and saw Captain Marvel standing at the back of the ship.

"Sure!" Captain Marvel said happily. "We'll have a blast!"

"Is it just me, or is something off about Captain Marvel?" Lilith murmured, studying him. Aqualad shrugged.

"Translation," Robin said as Lilith passed, "he blames us for the Red Fiasco. Doesn't trust us."

Aqualad approached them. "It's a big club," Kid Flash said, not bothering to lower his voice and hide his glance at Aqualad, and he and Robin turned and entered the ship.

Lilith opened her mouth to snap something at them, but Aqualad put a hand on her shoulder. He shook his head, and Lilith sighed and nodded. They entered the ship, and they were off.

* * *

 **Northern India  
September 23, 2136 IST**

Once they were over their location, Robin and Lilith stood and dropped from the ship. The pair did a quick scan of the surrounding area before Robin reported, "All clear." The Bioship landed, and everyone else stepped off.

"Switch to steal," Aqualad directed as he turned his uniform black, "and we will review mission parameters."

"Parameters?" Kid Flash asked, pressing the lightning bolt. "We don't need no stinkin' parameters."

"It's recon," Robin said. "We know what to do." They turned their backs and started for the trees.

"Kid, Robin—" Aqualad said, sounding shocked and hurt.

"We started this team because the Justice League was keeping secrets from _us_ ," Robin said sharply, turning around and glaring at Aqualad.

"Or did you forget that like you forgot to tell us about the mole?" Kid Flash sniped.

"I don't understand why you're so much angrier tat him than me," Lilith said, standing in front of them. There was no fight in her voice. "I knew for as long as he knew."

Robin and Kid Flash glanced at each other. "It's different," Kid Flash mumbled.

Before Lilith could ask how, Robin said, "Come on, K.F. Let's go." They turned and disappeared into the trees.

"Come on," Superboy growled, stepping forward and grabbing Miss Martian's arm. "I'll keep you safe." Miss Martian yanked her arm away and glared at him. She crossed her arms over her chest and glared at him before turning away from him. "I just want to protect you," Superboy stammered, and Lilith figured Miss Martian had given him a brain-full.

"Like Aqualad protected us?" Artemis snapped, stepping up and glaring at Superboy. She shoved her bow at him. "I'm not sure your protection, or your patronizing, is good for our health." She turned away and Miss Martian followed.

Superboy turned and glared at Aqualad. "Why didn't you stop him?" he demanded. "You're supposed to be in charge!"

"Oh, now you want him to lead you," Lilith snapped. "When the going gets tough, it's easier to let someone else take the blame, isn't it?" Aqualad put a hand on her shoulder to calm her, but she was too full of steam. "Because before, it sounded like you didn't want to take any orders from him."

"Why are you taking his side?" Superboy demanded, glaring down at Lilith.

"Because apparently, I'm the only one seeing clearly right now," Lilith said coldly. Superboy didn't respond, just turned on his heel and leapt away.

Lilith sighed and turned to Aqualad. "I'm sorry," she said. "I just can't stand it when people behave irrationally and refuse to see what's right in front of them."

"Apology accepted," Aqualad said with a heavy sigh.

"Um, did I miss the part where you actually _said_ what the plan was?" Captain Marvel asked, breaking the heavy silence that had fallen.

Aqualad sighed again and turned away without a word.

"Come on," Lilith said softly to Captain Marvel before following Aqualad into the trees.

* * *

A little ways into the forest, Lilith glanced down and noticed what appeared to be gorilla tracks. "Guess this is where Mayor Hill's monkey business went down," she commented, kneeling and touching the tracks lightly.

"So…at least we've confirmed his story, right?" Captain Marvel prompted.

Aqualad continued forward without responding. Lilith called out his name and he stopped before turning back to her and Captain Marvel.

"My apologies," he said. "I am…plagued by doubts," he admitted, glancing at the ground. "Perhaps I was wrong to withhold."

Before Lilith could assure him the Team wouldn't have taken that news well either, a rustling in the trees behind them caught her ear. As the noise grew closer, the ground began to shake, and suddenly, an elephant emerged. But it wasn't a standard elephant. Lilith gasped and tears glossed her eyes. She brought a hand to her open mouth to keep from moaning at the elephant's pain and fear. They looked exactly like the Venom creature they had fought back at Santa Prisca: larger, buffer, and there were tears in their skin that revealed red muscle beneath.

Captain Marvel flew forward and punched it between the eyes. "No!" Lilith screamed. The elephant grabbed Captain Marvel's foot with its trunk and sent him flying into a tree. Captain Marvel went straight through it and disappeared from sight.

Another elephant emerged from behind Aqualad, and Lilith quickly turned to face it. Together, she and Aqualad dodged the elephants' ground-shaking steps, but a truck swung out of nowhere and sent Lilith and Aqualad flying. They landed with a thump in front of Captain Marvel, and Lilith quickly sprang to her feet as another animal's thought came to her head. She fell to her knees and clutched her head.

"Lilith!" Aqualad exclaimed, turning to her in worry.

"So many," she gasped, her eyes wide. "All in so much pain…"

Aqualad quickly helped Lilith to her feet, and she grasped his arm. "The collars," she said. "All of them, they don't know what they're doing!"

Aqualad was unsure of what she was saying, but he helped her to the base of a tree and Lilith closed her eyes and scrunched her face in concentration. Lilith began to reach out, trying to connect with and then calm down the animals' minds. Making sure she was out of harm's way, Aqualad joined Captain Marvel in fighting the elephants.

As one lifted its head to knock Captain Marvel back, its neck was exposed and Aqualad finally saw what Lilith had been talking about. He activated his water-bearers and dodged the elephant's swinging trunk. He caught the collar with a water whip and yanked it off. The change was immediate. The elephant stilled and seemed to be trying to remember how it got there. Finally, it turned and ambled away.

Remove the collar!" Aqualad yelled at Captain Marvel, who was weaving in and out of the air in front of his elephant.

"On it!" Captain Marvel called, and he ducked beneath the elephant's massive head and punched through the collar. It landed on the ground, where the elephant crushed it.

Lilith gave a small sigh in relief and got to her feet. "There are still so many," she informed quietly. "We need to help them; they don't know what they're doing.

"Pretty sweet the way you figured out the problem was the collars," Captain Marvel marveled once he landed beside Lilith and Aqualad. Lilith's face twitch in confusion at Captain Marvel's word choice again but didn't say anything.

"It was Lilith," Aqualad said. "But the collars indicate an intelligence behind this attack."

"The others must have faced something like this," Lilith realized and she shuddered to think of what might be lurking in the jungle.

Aqualad put his finger to his ear. "Team, report status." Lilith winced as she heard feedback. "Ugh," Aqualad said. "Comm. is jammed. And Miss Martian failed to establish a telepathic link before we split up."

"Actually, _you_ let everyone split up before communications were set," Captain Marvel said.

"They would not listen!" Aqualad defended.

"I guess," Captain Marvel said with a shrug. "But Batman is able to stop everyone from arguing with one word."

"Because Batman is…Batman," Aqualad said, glaring at the ground.

"Hey, you don't have to tell me," Captain Marvel said. "When I first joined the League, all he _did_ was boss me around and it's hard not to take it personally. But, I never disobeyed an order, and that's probably what kept me alive."

"Batman _takes_ command," Aqualad realized slowly. "He has to…for the good of the League." He turned to Captain Marvel. "Thank you for helping me understand."

"Hey, Wisdom of Solomon," Captain Marvel said, pointing at his temple.

Aqualad turned away from Captain Marvel suddenly and said, "Yes, Miss Martian. Report."

While Aqualad listened, Lilith caught a whisper of a thought crossing her mind. She turned and saw a tiger, watching them and growling softly. It turned away, and Captain Marvel exclaimed, "Cool, the tiger! I'll be right back!"

"Captain, wait!" Lilith exclaimed, eyes wide. She had sensed another mind, something more complex than a typical jungle animal, but not complex enough for her to not understand.

"Hey, Speed of Mercury," Aqualad grumbled in a tone that took Lilith by surprise.

After a moment, Lilith heard Miss Martian's voice in her head. _Link established._

 _Should you_ really _still be giving us orders?_ Artemis's voice chimed in angrily. _And should_ you _really be following them?_

 _Listen, please,_ Aqualad said, but it went ignored by the others.

 _Oh, good,_ came Kid Flash's sarcastic tone. _Aqualad's voice in my head. I've so missed that!_

 _Hey, Kaldur!_ Robin piped up. _K.F. and I were attacked by giant vultures. 'Course, since we're moles, you probably think we attacked ourselves._

 _If he did, he wouldn't tell you_ , Artemis put in.

 _Superboy, are you online or just pouting?_ Miss Martian inquired.

 _Busy,_ came Superboy's response. _Call back later._

Lilith had been pacing uneasily the whole time before she finally set off after Captain Marvel. The two whispers of thought had disappeared, and that made Lilith suspicious. She took off, and Aqualad followed her.

 _What gets me is how nonchalant he is about not telling us,_ Kid Flash thought in disbelief.

 _He should be chalant,_ Robin said. _Way chalant._ Extremely _chalant._

Lilith pushed aside some low-hanging leafy branches and her eyes widened at what she saw. Three metal poles, placed in a triangular grid, rose from the earth.

 _How can we be a Team if he doesn't trust us with his secrets?_ Artemis thought as Lilith and Aqualad approached the strange posts.

 _Or if Conner doesn't trust us to take care of ourselves,_ Miss Martian added. Lilith knelt on the edge of the triangle and spotted deep furrows in the dirt, indicating something—or someone—had tried to plant themselves to keep from moving. On top were what looked like gorilla handprints.

 _Did he really think you or I could have been the mole?_ Kid Flash questioned.

 _We've known each other for years!_ Robin exclaimed.

 _Trust is a two-way street,_ Artemis informed.

 _And you know they'd hate it if we kept secrets from them,_ Miss Martian added.

By now, Lilith was growling out loud. Every time she thought she got an idea of what might have happened, they spoke up and broke her train of thought. _I hate these things,_ she grumbled to herself.

 _Not that we'd do that,_ Artemis said. _Never._

 _You've been suspiciously quiet, Lilith,_ Robin mentioned. _Nothing to say to defend him?_

 _Oh, I've got plenty,_ Lilith growled. _It just so happens—_

 _Enough._ Lilith glanced up when Aqualad cut her off and saw he was scowling too. He stood and ripped up one of the poles. _Captain Marvel has been captured, and we must act as a Team to save him._

Kid Flash scoffed. _Under_ your _leadership? I don't think—_

 _This is not up for debate,_ Aqualad commanded, and Lilith could tell the others were taken aback by his sudden authoritative tone. _You all chose me to lead. When the mission is over, if you wish to select a new leader, I will_ happily _step down. But until that time, I_ am _in command here._ He threw down the metal post with a grunt and stalked off into the woods, Lilith hurrying to follow. _Lilith and I are following the tracks we found. I am sending coordinates of our location now._

 _Received,_ Robin informed.

 _Received,_ Miss Martian confirmed.

 _Good,_ Aqualad thought. _We will continue on our way and will meet all of you at the end point._

By the time Lilith and Aqualad had reached the end of the tracks, the others had fallen in beside them. When they came to the clearing, Lilith's eyes widened at the sight of a concrete compound with more orb-tipped poles dotting the perimeter at regular intervals.

 _I'll fly over,_ Miss Martian said.

 _Negatory,_ Kid Flash thought. _The field is stamped like a dome over the whole compound._

 _Pylons are insulated,_ Robin said, looking at his hologram. _But one good shock could cause a momentary gap._

 _I see a target,_ Artemis informed, already drawing her bow taught.

 _Then be ready to hit it,_ Aqualad commanded. _Be ready, all of you._

Aqualad ran forward to an orb. His marks glowed blue and he reached forward to touch the pole. Immediately, the field kicked in, sparking against Aqualad's touch.

 _Now!_ Kid Flash yelled, and Artemis let her arrow fly. It hit its target flawlessly, and the field dropped. Aqualad waved them forward and they hurried to him. Lilith slowed her pace when she felt the minds of animals near, and Robin stopped beside her.

"What is it?" he demanded.

"Monkeys," Lilith responded, not looking at him. Robin turned and saw one monkey perched on the top of the compound.

"That's only—" Before Robin could finish his thought, the monkey let out a cry and alarms started blaring. More monkeys swarmed forward, and Robin said, "Oh. There they are."

"Remove the collars!" Lilith yelled as she ducked under one and slashed her knife upward to catch the collar. It snapped off and the monkey chittered before dashing away.

"Sounds easy when she says it," Lilith heard Robin grumble behind her, and she whipped around and pulled out a gun. In quick succession, the collars of the two monkeys who had grabbed Robin popped off, and they scampered away.

Lilith's eyes widened when she saw Robin draw two disks, and she quickly hit the dirt. Behind her, two more dashed into the forest.

"Thanks," Lilith panted, getting to her feet.

"Back at you," Robin said.

"Cover me," Lilith suddenly requested and Robin nodded. Lilith closed her eyes and searched for the tiger she had seen earlier. When she finally came into contact with him, his pain and fear overwhelmed her and she cried out and clutched her head.

"Try to stay whelmed!" Robin yelled as he threw another disk.

Lilith focused and was finally able to make sense of the jumble of thought. She sighed in relief when she felt the tiger follow her lead, and she inhaled sharply as she tried to funnel the shock of the collar away from him.

"That wall!" Lilith ground out, pointing to a section of the concrete. "That's where Captain Marvel and his captor are!"

"On it!" Miss Martian called, and she picked up the gorilla telepathically and threw it through the wall. When the dust cleared, the Team stood in the gaping hole.

"It's the Brain!" Kid Flash yelled.

"Ugh, I can _see_ it's a brain!" Artemis said in a _that-is-so-obvious_ tone.

"Not _a_ brain," Kid Flash said. " _The_ Brain!"

Lilith gasped when a machine came into the light. Under a glass dome was a giant brain, and given its size, Lilith shuddered to think how many brains The Brain had taken.

"In the flesh, eh, so to speak," The Brain said with a thick French accent. "Mallah," he called, and the gorilla stood. He pressed a button, and suddenly they were surrounded by those metal poles. Lilith gasped and fell to the floor with the other.

 _Miss Martian, Superboy,_ Aqualad said through their telepathic link. _Now._

Miss Martian's eyes glowed and the remote the gorilla, Mallah, held floated toward her. The field around the Team disappeared and they stood. Behind Mallah, the wall exploded and when the dust settled, Superboy stood with a new friend.

The white wolf was the first to attack. He knocked Mallah back on his back as he tried to stand, and then Kid Flash ran up and kicked Mallah in the chest. Mallah started firing his gun, and Robin swooped in and kicked him across the face. Miss Martian flew up and pick up Mallah telepathically and slammed him into the groun and Superboy came up to punch him.

Artemis fired an arrow at the pack on Mallah's back, causing it to explode. She fired another arrow, and Lilith threw a dagger at the gun. The gun fell off the pack, leaving Mallah weaponless.

Quickly, The Brain and Mallah were surrounded, and Mallah roared.

"Try it," Superboy challenged. "I hate monkeys."

"No, Mallah," The Brain placated. "This will not be our Waterloo." Various parts of The Brain's structure began to unfold, and Lilith's eyes widened. " _Au revoir, mes amis_."

"Get down!" Kid Flash yelled, but instead, everyone took up a fighting stance. The lights snapped off, and when they flickered on again, The Brain and Mallah had vanished.

"Wait," Kid Flash said. "That big weapon thing was…a light switch?"

Lilith sighed and knelt to retrieve her dagger. The tiger approached her slowly, his inquiry making its way to her. She smiled and held out her hand, which the tiger approached and let her lay her hand on his head. The others watched as the pair seemed to communicate silently. Finally, Lilith stood. "Let's get out of here," she said, and everyone nodded their heads.

* * *

When they reached the Bioship, Aqualad turned to Lilith. "We need to remove the remaining collars. Can you find and contact the animals?"

Lilith nodded and closed her eyes. Slowly, animals began to emerge. Lilith made sure she was front and center so they could find the one calling to them, and she and Aqualad began to take off the collars.

"What are you grinning about?" Lilith heard Artemis ask Kid Flash once the last monkey had come forward.

"One word," he replied, holding up a red beret and putting it on. "Souvenir."

"Two words," Artemis said, walking ahead. "Gorilla lice."

"Oh man!" Kid Flash wailed and he quickly pulled off the hat. "Uhh," he groaned.

"That is the last collar?" Aqualad asked Lilith, and she nodded. Beside her, the tiger sat at attention.

Lilith sighed and stroked the tiger's back. "I don't want to leave you behind," she said. "But I suppose you wouldn't enjoy it much back at the Cave. After all, you are a creature of solitude." The tiger yowled in agreement and Lilith gave a small smile. "I thought so."

"But we can count on you to keep the other animals out of trouble?" Captain Marvel asked, kneeling at the tiger's other side. The tiger purred in agreement.

"Great," Lilith said, scratching the tiger's head.

"We'll be back to visit," Captain Marvel promised.

"That is one promise I intend to keep," Lilith whispered in the tiger's ear, and he lowered his head so their foreheads touched. Lilith gave the tiger a quick kiss on the top of his head before he turned away and dashed into the forest.

"I think I'll call him Mr. Tawny," Captain Marvel declared, and again Lilith had to wonder what was so odd about him.

"You will miss him, won't you," Aqualad said as Lilith watched Mr. Tawny bound away.

"Yes," Lilith responded with a small sigh. "I've always loved tigers, and I've never had a chance to meet one in person."

Aqualad gave her a small, sympathetic smile. "You will get to see him," Aqualad assured.

"You're right," Lilith said, her face brightening. She got to her feet and followed Aqualad onto the Bioship.

Halfway up the ramp, Robin stopped them. "Look, I need to know," he started, not looking at either of them. "Why did you keep the mole intel a secret?"

That question peeked everyone's interest, and they approached. Aqualad glanced around the Team, and Lilith gave him an encouraging nod. "The source of the tip was Sportsmater," he started.

"What?" Artemis gasped. "You can't trust him!" she exclaimed.

"I do not," Aqualad assured firmly. "It seemed possible, even likely, that he was attempting to divide the Team with false information."

"And given how this mission went, he nearly succeeded," Robin observed. "But you had to consider it _might_ be true," he hypothesized.

"Yes," Aqualad confirmed. "As leader, I did. In which case, I did not wish to alert the traitor."

"Hate to say it, but…makes sense," Robin admitted with a small smile, but it dropped quickly. "That still doesn't explain why you decided to tell Lilith."

"She is the most level-headed," Aqualad said. "I knew she would not let her suspicions cloud her judgement."

"So you had suspicions?" Kid Flash asked.

Lilith hesitated but then nodded. "And I have no more," she added quickly.

"Back to the immediate matter," Aqualad stepped in. "I am still prepared to step down."

Kid Flash glanced around and asked as he raised his own hand, "All in favor of keeping Aqualad as leader?" Immediately, everyone put their hand up.

"Guess it's unanimous," Captain Marvel said, stepping forward and putting a hand on Aqualad's shoulder. He shook Aqualad's hand before turning and saying, "See you tomorrow."

"You are not coming back with us?" Aqualad questioned.

"Nah, gotta fly," Captain Marvel said, and he disappeared into the sky.

The Team turned toward the Bioship and stepped on.

The trip home was filled with quiet chatter, all of which Lilith tuned out. It wasn't until she felt a hand on her shoulder that she realized they were back at the Cave. She stood and headed to the zeta-tubes.

When she got home, she cursed silently when she saw Claire's car in the driveway. Lilith glanced down at her uniform and bit her lip. Finally, she turned to the large tree in the front yard and began to scale it. Once she reached the roof, she slipped on quietly and snuck around to the back, where she managed to open her window and scramble inside.

Lilith quickly changed and then went back the way she came before entering the front door and calling, "I'm home!"

"Great," Claire grumbled from the living room. "The baby's back." Naomi growled and her hand twitched to her thigh, but her guns were safely stored in her room. Even if she did have one on her, she didn't have any bullets capable of killing. She had vowed to never take a life...ever again.

Naomi made her way upstairs, ignoring James's welcome. She made sure to slam her door shut behind her and she flopped on her bed before grabbing her laptop and powering it up. She saw the usual group chat was up and running, and for the most part she came and went in the conversation.

Before long, she was yawning and saying her goodnights. Just as she was about to change, a soft knock came at her door and she opened it a crack to see James.

"The…witch, gone?" she asked.

James sighed. "Yes, Claire just left. I just wanted to check up on you."

"Why wouldn't I be alright?" she snapped.

"Naomi, you left a message from the _hospital_ ," James emphasized. "What happened?"

"Hero stuff," Naomi grumbled, crossing her arms and staring at the ground.

"You need to get out of that," James suddenly blurted, and Naomi snapped her gaze to meet his.

"What?" she demanded. "This is my life!"

"But you're getting hurt!" James exclaimed.

"That comes with the territory!" Naomi scowled.

"You need to realize that people care about you!" James put in.

"What does that have to do with anything?" Naomi demanded.

James opened his mouth to respond but snapped it shut. "Never mind," he grumbled. "Good-night."

Naomi scowled and slammed the door shut again. "Boys," she grumbled. She changed and climbed into bed before falling into an uneasy sleep.

* * *

 **A/N: Hope you enjoyed.**

 **If you have any questions or comments, about Lilith or the story, feel free to let me know!**

 **And tell me who you think Lilith should be paired with.**

 **Until next time :)**


	16. A Day in the Life

**A/N: I don't own anything you recognize.**

 **Another short one, sorry. I'm still getting a feel for writing background-y type of chapters.**

 **Thank you to everyone who has followed, favorited, and commented.**

 **Abby (guest): Thank you so much! And there is a reason for my madness! I have plans for Lilith to go beyond Demons (AKA, sequels to come!), which is why I'm going pretty slowly on the actual pairing. I'm currently working on the expansion of their relationship, so stay tuned!**

 **RavenDeathGirl0909: Yeah, James is being that annoyingly overprotective older brother that Naomi of course can't help but love and appreciate!**

 **killian . rainey: Lilith had and still does have a suspect, but she didn't want to say because she knew that no one would like what she had to say. And the tiger? I have plans for that, don't worry :)**

 **KMB (guest): As I said above, I have plans for sequels, and the way I see those sequels going, I need a slow start on any romantic relationship Lilith has. But again, I am working on little moments, so hopefully those come out soon! And thank you so much! That really means a lot :)**

* * *

 **Gotham City  
September 24, 0600 EDT**

Naomi woke with her alarm and got ready for school. When she reached the kitchen, she scowled and stalked to the refrigerator.

"Morning," James said nervously.

Naomi merely grunted as she pulled out a yogurt and nabbed an apple from the fruit basket.

"Wait, wait," James sighed in defeat. "I'm sorry."

Naomi paused at the door before glancing over her shoulder. "You know this is what I do," she said softly.

"I know, I know!" James exclaimed. "And I never should have told you to leave it," he said. "It's just…I hate to see you get hurt."

Naomi turned to face James. "I know," she said quietly. "But you have to trust that I can take care of myself."

"I do," he said quickly. "Believe me, I've seen it live and in person," he added with a nervous chuckle.

Naomi laughed at the memory. She had been walking home with James one late evening when they had been held up at gunpoint. Naomi had rolled her eyes when James had given in and she had immediately jumped into action. It took three well-placed hits to get the guy down and Naomi had barely broken a sweat. But James had been flabbergasted, to say the least. He knew about her life as a superhero and had seen news clips on T.V., but had never seen it personally. It had been enough for him to be glad he wasn't a bad guy.

Once her laughter had died down, Naomi sighed. "Look, we can talk about this later, okay?"

"Yeah," James said with a nod. "Yeah, of course."

"See you later," Naomi said before turning and walking out the front door.

When Naomi reached the school, she cursed when she realized she was late for one of the morning clubs. She raced to the classroom and threw open the door.

"I am so sorry I'm late," she said, eyes wide.

"No problem, Naomi," the president, Blaire Osborn, said with a smile. "We just started."

Naomi smiled gratefully and hurried to an open seat.

"Hey," a voice whispered in her ear, and Naomi gasped and whirled around. "I'm Dick," the boy said.

"Naomi," she responded. "Your Wayne's ward, right?" she asked, feigning cluelessness.

"Right," Dick nodded. He opened his mouth again but was cut off when Blaire officially started.

Internally, Naomi sighed in relief. She had never had much reason to interact with Dick Grayson when he wasn't being Robin, and honestly, she was slightly unsure of how she should act.

Right before the bell rang to signal the start of the school day, Dick leaned over to Naomi again. "So, I think we're in the same Advanced Human Geography class. Why are you taking it as a junior?"

"Why are you taking it as a freshman?" Naomi countered. "Even most seniors don't take that class."

Dick shrugged. "I've always been ahead academically. Doesn't seem like much of a challenge."

Naomi scoffed. "Ten bucks says you're out by the end of the first week."

"I'll take you on that," Dick responded and he stuck his hand out for Naomi to shake. She raised an eyebrow but laughed and grasped his hand.

"What can I get for ten dollars these days?" Naomi playfully pondered as they walked out of the classroom.

"Not much," Dick taunted.

"I'll think of something," Naomi said with a smirk.

"Hey, Naomi!" Aidan called, and Naomi glanced over her shoulder.

"I'll see you in class," Naomi told Dick before turning and walking toward her friends.

"Who was that?" Rosalind asked once Naomi had reached them.

"It was that dark-haired boy from the mall!" Liz exclaimed. "He's pretty cute."

Naomi sighed. "Lizzie, he's just a kid. Now come on," she said. "Let's get to class." Naomi, Aidan, and Rosalind headed to Advanced Physics while Liz and Jack went to British Literature.

After first block, Naomi headed to Latin IV. As she made her way through the halls, she spotted Dick leaning against the lockers talking to three sophomore girls. Naomi recognized them as Grace Summers, Maggie Owens, and Mara Smith. She sniggered when she noticed Dick's friend, Barbara Gordon, standing next to him and scowling.

As Naomi passed the giggling group of girls, Grace, the undisputed leader, took a step back into Naomi's path.

Grace raised her eyebrow and snapped, "What where you're doing!"

Naomi just scoffed. "Right. _I'm_ the one who needs to watch it."

"We all saw it," Maggie sniveled. "You're like, totally the one at fault!"

"Hope you're not getting your driver's license anytime soon," Naomi snorted.

"You're just jealous," Mara put in.

Naomi rolled her eyes. "Of what?" she asked.

"Us, of course!" Grace exclaimed as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

At that, Naomi burst out laughing. The three girls gave each other confused looks while Dick tried to hide his sniggers. Once Naomi had gotten her giggles under control, she turned to Dick. "See you in class," she said. Dick nodded his head in acknowledgement and gave her a small wave.

Naomi gave a smirk when she heard Grace shriek, "What was that?"

The rest of the day passed uneventfully. She saw Dick and Artemis a few times around the school, but neither really knew her in this setting, so she didn't expect conversation from either.

That afternoon when Naomi got home, she saw James waiting for her on the front porch.

"What's with the interception outside the house?" she asked as she approached him.

"I thought maybe we could go for a ride," he said. When he saw Naomi hesitate, he sighed and fished around in his pocket. "I'll let you drive," he offered.

"You're on," Naomi beamed. She opened the front door and tossed her backpack in the front hall and then snagged the keys from James's hand.

Once they were on the road, James said, "So, about what happened last night…"

Naomi sighed; she should have seen this coming. "I thought we settled this this morning," she said.

"No, you were the one who said we could continue this later," James said immediately.

"Yeah, yeah, you're right," Naomi said. "I just don't know what else there is to say."

James paused before saying, "Well, I apologize again for asking you to quit."

Naomi pursed her lips. "Is what I do really that bad?" she asked.

"It's scary, definitely," James said slowly. "Especially for those who love and care for you."

"And you know why I do what I do, right?" Naomi asked James.

"Only what you've told me," James said. "You said you feel you have to make up for your past. That you want to not turn out how you were supposed to. That you wanted to prove you weren't just a puppet, that you could think for yourself."

Naomi nodded. "And I don't think I will ever feel I have made up enough," she said. "So I don't think I will ever stop doing this."

James reached out and placed a hand on top of Naomi's. "I understand," he said quietly. "And I won't ever ask you to quit."

Naomi gave a small but grateful laugh. "Thank you," she said.

"Of course," James said with a smile. "Now let's head home," he said. "I wonder what Mom has cooking."

As Naomi and James walked in through the front door, David called from the kitchen, "Just started!"

"You can help us," Lisa added, looking up from the cutting block.

"Sure!" Naomi beamed. She quickly threw her hair in a messy bun and stepped into the large kitchen to wash her hands. Lisa handed Naomi the knife to finish cutting the broccoli while she started on the meat.

James watched from the counter.

"Aren't you going to join us, dear?" Lisa asked as she pulled the sirloin steak from the refrigerator.

"There's still plenty for you to do," Naomi argued, raising her eyebrow and pointing her knife at the three cookbooks that were laid out in front of her.

"You know can't boil water without burning something," James reminded them, crossing his arms across his chest. "Besides, it looks like you three have it covered."

"There's still another part that isn't being covered!" David exclaimed as he began counting apples.

"We need a salad," Naomi explained. "Lisa and I are doing the main meal, and David's got dessert."

"No cooking involved," David put in.

"Fi-ine," James drawled, staggering into the kitchen. He caught Naomi's bright eyes and knew she knew he really didn't mind being in the kitchen.

"Yay!" Naomi exclaimed and reached up to peck James's cheek as he passed. She immediately went back to the green stocks in front of her and completely missed the light blush that had touched James's cheeks.

* * *

That night as Naomi lay in bed, she thought about her civilian life. Before, she only dreamed of having such an ordinary life. She never thought she'd actually get the chance to live a normal life. Though, her life was still far from normal, but Naomi had always seen it as…predestined, in a way. She believed that no matter how hard she tried, she'd never fully escape this particular lifestyle. And honestly, she couldn't imagine her life without it. It was never something she ever dreamed could _not_ be a part of her. She never questioned it as a part of her. She just understood it as being _her_.

Naomi turned onto her side and sighed. As much as she wondered what her life would be like now if she hadn't had the life she did, she also knew it was pointless to dwell on what could never happen. Giving her head a small shake, she closed her eyes and slipped into her nightmarish dreams.

* * *

 **A/N: Hope you enjoyed. Until next time.**


	17. Revelation

**A/N: I own nothing you recognize.**

 **Whew, I was afraid I had lost all my work! Apparently, my cat got to my flash drive and batted it under our piano...but I got it!**

 **RavenDeathGirl0909: Tee hee...yeah, I'm not sure if I'll do _anything_ with that little bit, but it just sorta came out, so I went with it!**

 **ShadowXMoonlight: Thanks so much! I'm glad you enjoyed.**

 **Guest (chapter 16): Honestly, I'm leaning toward Kaldur. I've really gotten into the idea of him and an OC, so I think that's where this is headed! And thank you, that means a lot :)**

 **killian . rainey: Naomi wants to make up for the not-so-good-guy training she did until she was ten, and she sees being a hero the only way she can. And yeah, in a way you can say she was being controlled. You could call her a...puppet of sorts.**

* * *

 **Mount Justice  
October 1, 1813 EDT**

"I fight winner," Lilith declared with a smirk as Robin and Kaldur stepped onto the ring.

"You are on," Kaldur said with a smile.

The two boys took ready stance and Robin advanced first. Kaldur didn't block, just moved back Robin attacked. Robin did a flying kick at Kaldur, who dodged to the side as Robin went flying past him. Robin turned and ran at Kaldur, throwing a fist, which he blocked. Kaldur sent his own punch and Robin did a handspring backward to avoid contact. Kaldur ran forward and threw another punch, which Robin blocked, and Robin swung. Kaldur leaned back just in time for Robin's fist to barely graze his chin, and Kaldur did his own flip backward.

Lilith sighed when the light beneath their feet dimmed and they relaxed. She approached them at the center of the ring as Conner, M'gann, and Wolf walked toward them.

Robin leaned in to whisper, "You know they're a couple, right?"

"Called it," Lilith said in a sing-song voice while Kaldur smiled and said, "I believe I knew before they did."

From another entrance, Wally and Artemis entered.

"Do we tell them?" Robin asked, laughter evident in his tone.

"It is not our place," Kaldur said.

"I hope they're not too disappointed," Lilith said sympathetically. It was no secret to the three that Wally liked M'gann, and Artemis had a crush on Conner.

Artemis and Wally eventually reached the trio in the center of the ring. "So if Zatara is our babysitter of the week, why is he still here?" Wally asked, gesturing to Captain Marvel. "And why is he eating my snacks?" he demanded.

"Recognized: Batman, 0-2."

"Computer, national news," Batman commanded before he had even stepped out of the tube.

Cat Grant appeared on the holographic screen, and Lilith bit back her groan.

 _The initial attack was short-lived, but Metropolis was only granted a short reprieve._

On the screen, Lilith saw giant vines that had grown out of the concrete and her eyes widened as some vines wrapped around a building and demolished it.

 _And despite the intervention of Superman and the Justice League,_ Grant narrated as they saw Superman lift two citizens off the building before it crumbled, _there seems to be no end in sight._ One of the Green Lanterns and both Hawks were flying around, battling the giant vines.

"Should we get out there?" Robin asked, sounding as though adrenaline was already coursing through his system.

"No," Batman said, turning to them. "The League will soon have the situation under control," he said. "That's not why I'm here. According to your intel, Sportsmaster supplied Cadmus's Blockbuster formula to Kobra."

"Who combined it with Bane's Venom to create Kobra Venom," Wally continued.

"Which the Brain used to create his animal army," Lilith finished.

"And upgrade Wolf," Conner added, scratching the large white wolf under the chin.

"The Brain also used inhibitor collars like the ones at Belle Reve Penitentiary," M'gann included.

"Batman, is it possible that plant thingy's on Kobra Venom too?" Artemis asked.

"I had Green Lantern run a spot analysis," Batman said, waving his hand and pulling up a keyboard. "The vine cellulose does contain trace amounts of a Kobra Venom variant," he said, and a zoomed-in image of the chemical appeared.

"These cannot be coincidences," Kaldur said. "Unrelated criminals are cooperating with one another worldwide."

"Exactly," Batman said, "It's now clear our enemies have formed some kind of…secret society of supervillains." Lilith frowned when Batman said that, and Batman caught her look. "The attack on Metropolis is only the beginning," he continued when Lilith didn't meet his gaze.

"You got that right," Robin said, his eyebrows furrowed over his dark sunglasses and his fingers flying over the holographic keyboard. He pulled up other news coverage. "Plant creatures have sprouted in Gotham City, Paris, Star City, Taipei—"

He was cut off when the five screens went to static, and Batman turned around.

"Dude," Wally said.

"It's not me," Robin said, his fingers moving. "Someone's cutting in the satellite signal. _All_ satellite signals!"

Suddenly, the screens popped back on, and the gruesomely grinning face of the Joker was staring back at them.

Joker tapped the camera before saying, "Ladies and gentlemen, we interrupt your regularly scheduled mayhem to bring you this important announcement…" Like the psycho he was, he pulled out a switchblade and flicked open the knife. He pushed the camera to the side, and six people were revealed. "…from the _In_ justice League." Off camera, Joker cackled.

A white-haired older gentleman dressed nicely in green spoke up. " _We_ are responsible for the attacks on your cities," he said in accented English. "If you wish to save them, a ransom of ten billion American dollars is required." Lilith's frown deepened and she crossed an arm across her chest and cupped her chin with her other hand. "Delivery instructions have been sent to the United Nations. There is no time limit. But, the longer your governments wait…"

"The more we get to have our… _jollies_ ," Joker spoke up, pulling the camera to face him again. He laughed again before the screen went back to static.

"Roger that, Aquaman," Batman said, speaking into his comm piece. "The U.N. will prepare the ransom as a fallback, but it _won't_ come to that."

Robin's fingers were dancing across the keyboard again, and he rewound the footage. He began naming the villains, a box appearing around their heads as their names were called. "Count Vertigo—" the man who had done all the talking; "—the Joker—" everyone knew him; "—Poison Ivy—" the only female with red hair, pale green skin, and a green costume; "—the Ultra-Humanite—" the large white gorilla in the back with an unusually large skull; "—Atomic Skull—" a man with a gray, sunken appearance; "—Black Adam—" who wore a black one-piece with a gold lightning bolt with gold cuffs, belt, and boots; "—Wotan—" the man on the far left dressed in red with a black cape and funny hair.

"Seven heavy hitters," Lilith mumbled, the pieces still not coming together.

"Probably behind everyone and everything we've faced," Robin said. Lilith's frown was so severe Batman was afraid her face would crack.

"There's your secret society," Wally said grimly to Robin.

"Not so secret anymore," Artemis said.

"Perhaps after India they realized we would deduce the truth and saw no point in hiding any longer," Kaldur hypothesized.

"Yeah?" Wally said, making a fist. "That was their mistake! Right now, I say we go kick some plant-creature butt!"

"The Justice League will handle the plants," Batman spoke up. "I have a different job for this Team."

"Oh, man," Wally grumbled, and Artemis punched his arm, glaring at him.

"With the plants attacking so many locations simultaneously, there much be a central control system," Batman said. "Your mission is to destroy it," he said simply.

"You realize what you're really asking them to do," Zatara asked softly, approaching Batman.

"They're ready," Batman responded.

"Ready?" Wally asked. "Ready for what?" Artemis punched him again. "Ow!" Wally exclaimed. "Will you cut that—"

"Hell-o, Wally," Artemis said. "If the big guns are fighting plants, who do you think we'll be fighting?"

"I don't' know!" Wally said. "I guess we'll—" Artemis pointed to the screen with a glare. Wally gasped. "Oh…" he said.

"Well, Batman, I trust you're correct," Zatara said.

"I trust _you_ can locate the enemy," Batman countered.

"Indeed," Zatara said. "Wotan's involvement suggests sorcery is part of how the plants are controlled. Robin, if you will provide a Holo-Map," Zatara said, and Robin's fingers flew over the keys again. "I'll search for signs of concentrated sorcerous activity," Zatara finished as a glove appeared. He held his hands out in front of him and said, " _Etacol retnecipe fo yrecros!_ " A red dot appeared on the globe, and Zatara said, "There. That is where you will find the Injustice League's central control system."

"Coordinates locked in," Robin said. "The Louisiana Bayou."

"We are on our way," Kaldur said.

Before they could move," Batman asked, "What are you thinking, Lilith?" Everyone turned to her.

She glanced up, startled by the attention, but cleared her throat. "I don't understand why the so-called Injustice League would go to such lengths to get ten million dollars," she said. "They're notorious criminals; why not just steal the money?"

"For the giggles?" Wally asked.

Lilith's frown didn't let up. "Perhaps,' she said. "But it also brings up the question: why are they suddenly working together?"

"We already agreed they were the ones behind everything we've encountered," Robin said.

"No, you just suggested that," Lilith countered. "How do we know they have the means or the smarts to get in touch with Cadmus, or even the diplomacy to work out a deal?"

"What are you getting at?" Wally asked.

"What if they're all just a distraction from the real people behind it all?" she asked. Everyone stilled at that.

"We'll keep that in mind," Batman agreed. "And if you're right, you get the pleasure of saying, 'I told you so.'" Lilith managed a tiny smile at Batman's uncharacteristic joke, but then she nodded solemnly and her lips turned down at the corner. "You'd better get going," Batman urge, and the Team ran to the hanger.

* * *

 **Bayou Bartholomew  
October 1, 1852 CDT**

The Team was silent as they flew over the marshy swamps. Since Adding Artemis, the seat configuration was now even on both sides, and Lilith sat to the left and Robin to the right. Glancing around, Lilith saw that Robin was checking his stash of disks, Kid Flash was eating a banana, and Artemis was checking her arrows. Behind Lilith, Aqualad and Superboy were deep in thought.

Lilith was polishing one of her guns when she heard Kid Flash ask quietly, "What's in the duffel?" Lilith followed his line of sight and saw a duffel bag at Aqualad's feet.

"Plan B," Aqualad replied solemnly.

Miss Martian suddenly groaned and clutched her head.

"You alright?" Superboy asked, looking at her with concern.

"Dizzy," Miss Martian said faintly.

"Martians get airsick?" Robin asked.

"She does look a bit greener than usual," Kid Flash commented.

"Not me," Miss Martian said. "Her."

"I feel fine," Artemis reassured.

"Ditto," Lilith responded.

"Not them," Miss Martian said. "The Bioship. She's trying to shield us, but…"

Miss Martian trailed off as the ship began to sway and tilt.

They were thrown forward unexpectedly when a huge force crashed into them. They went spiraling through the air and finally landed in a bog. Almost immediately, vines shot out from the water and began to drag them down.

Above them, a rip appeared in the roof, and Black Adam appeared.

"Uhh!" Miss Martian gasped. "He's hurting her." Superboy immediately jumped over Miss Martian and punched Black Adam in the jaw, sending him flying back.

Water started to pour into the ship. Lilith pulled out a water-breather and waited for the water to submerge her.

"No," Artemis growled. "No way I'm nearly drowning three missions in a row."

Lilith ducked beneath the surface. Aqualad was set with his gills, and Robin was holding onto the back of his seat to keep from rising with the water. Artemis and Kid Flash soon joined them, each with a water-breather, and then Miss Martian and Superboy appeared, Miss Martian with gills. She opened a hole in the ship.

"Out. Everyone out," Aqualad commanded, and Lilith quickly swam after him. Once she was able to stand, she placed her feet on the silty ground and stood up straight. She placed the breather in her belt and walked for the shore.

Lilith joined the Team on the solid ground, though Miss Martian and Superboy were kneeling between two trees and watching the Bioship go down.

"She's in shock," Miss Martian said. "She'll need time to recover."

Suddenly, the world titled beneath Lilith's feet. She groaned and clutched her head, falling to her knees and putting her forehead to the ground, trying to find her center. She heard someone land in front of them, and she glanced up.

"Vertigo," she gasped, trying to focus on the green-clad figure in the middle.

" _Count_ Vertigo to you, peasant," he sneered down at her. With a great amount of effort, Lilith reached back and slid a knife from its sheath. With a grunt, she lunged at Vertigo, slashing the knife. He took a step back without a scratch, but she got the desired effect. The dizziness faded, and around her, the others stirred.

Superboy was immediately tackled by Black Adam, and while Vertigo smirked down at Lilith who was getting to her feet, Aqualad sent a wave of water at him, picking him up and carrying him away.

 _Robin, Miss Martian,_ Aqualad thought in their heads, _disappear. We will keep them busy. You two fulfill the mission objective._

Lilith pulled out her guns and fired a few rounds at Black Adam, but the stunners were useless against him. She sighed and clipped them back in their holsters before launching herself at him. She caught him around the neck and scrambled to wrap her legs around his torso, but he easily grabbed her and tossed her to the side. Lilith hit a tree with a solid thud and her breath left her in a gasp. She fell to the base of the tree and no sooner had she gotten to her feet that Wolf was hurled at her. The back of her head snapped against the trunk of the tree and Lilith's vision began to grow fuzzy. _Great_ , she thought groggily as she watched Black Adam approach her. _Knocked unconscious again._

* * *

When Lilith woke up again, she found herself in a floating golden cage.

"They awaken," a voice informed.

"You're certain this will hold them?" Vertigo demanded.

"The cage is impenetrable," the voice said, and Lilith glanced through the bars and saw the sorcerer Wotan. "Even the Superboy has no chance of escaping."

"You are not the only one trained in the mystic arts, Wotan," Aqualad declared, and Lilith looked over to see Aqualad's marks burn blue as he started to pry open the bars.

"Please, Atlantean," Wotan scoffed. "Do not pretend you are in my league."

Suddenly, Lilith spotted the Bioship come flying through the sky. It collided with Wotan, making his lose his concentration and they tumbled to the ground. Lilith landed on her feet, ready to fight.

The Ultra-Humanite stepped forward and Superboy growled, "I hate monkeys," before he and Wolf charged.

Poison Ivy appeared from the trees, and Lilith reached for her guns and growled when she saw they were missing. Beside her, Aqualad and Artemis were facing the same problem.

"Ugh," Artemis grunted. "I feel naked. And not in a fun way." Lilith squeezed her eyes shut, trying to suppress the unwanted memories that had begun to surface.

 _Not now!_ she screamed in her head. She shook her head and glared at Poison Ivy as she lifted off the ground by her vines.

"We will make our own fun," Aqualad said as a vine shot at him. "As we have been training. Artemis, maneuver seven." The pair sprang to action and Lilith made a move to join them, but a hand came out of nowhere and clapped over her mouth. Lilith felt herself get dragged backward and she struggled to stay on her feet.

Once the clearing had disappeared, the hand released her and Lilith spun around.

"Who's there?" she demanded.

"You know," a female voice said from the trees. Lilith snapped her gaze to the branches and searched in vain for a shadow or figure.

"What does He want," Lilith demanded through clenched teeth.

"Just wanted to check up on you," the voice tittered. "He wondered if you had given up on the Team thing yet."

"Why would I?" Lilith snapped.

"Because you're a creature of solitude," the girl explained. "We all are."

"Only because we were trained to be," Lilith defended.

"But, dear," the girl said. "Isn't that much safer? It protects your heart."

Lilith scoffed. "I thought we were trained without a heart."

Leaves rustled, and Lilith guessed the girl had shrugged. "Doesn't mean you can't learn to use one."

"I don't care," Lilith yelled, clenching her fists. "I found a real family and I'm not going to lose it."

"Do you really think they want you?" the voice pondered.

Lilith ground her teeth together and squeezed her eyes shut. The question had crossed her mind more than once, but she had never let herself think on it too long; she knew what poisonous thoughts could do to a mind.

"I don't want to hear anymore," she growled. "You can go back to Him and tell him Agent 23 isn't interested." Lilith turned on her heel before the girl could respond, but that didn't keep the high-pitched giggle that reached her ears. Lilith balled her fists so tightly she could feel her nails dig into her palms, but she let the sting distract her.

By the time Lilith had found the clearing again—an explosion had helped—she heard Kid Flash yell, "No, Aqualad, don't!" Lilith hurried forward and watched as Aqualad lowered the Helmet of Fate over his head. There was a crash of thunder and a blinding gold light, and hovering above the marsh was Doctor Fate.

"Oh, dude," Kid Flash sighed, as Lilith helped him to his feet.

"Wotan, you are mine," Doctor Fate called, flying up so he was even with Wotan.

"Wonder Boy, you are mine," a voice mocked. Lilith turned and saw Joker standing in front of Robin with his pocketknife flicked open. Joker laughed at his imitation of Doctor Fate and started forward, slashing at Robin with the knife. He pulled out a second one, and Robin jumped back and did a back handspring. "Always wanted to carve this bird," Joker rasped out, and he ran forward with another laugh.

Lilith glanced at Kid Flash. He nodded, and she dashed off toward Joker. She leapt at Joker's exposed back and managed to hang onto his neck.

"Wh-what is this?" Joker demanded, turning around wildly and slashing with his knives. Lilith hissed as one of the knives skimmed her side, but she kept her arm locked around Joker's neck. She gave a hard tug and Joker stumbled backward into a tree, slamming Lilith into it in the process. Her breath escaped her and she released her hold on Joker.

"Well, well, well," Joker said, and Lilith looked up to see him appraising her. "Looks like there's a Wonder Girl now too."

Lilith growled. "I'm no one's Wonder Girl," she bit out before ducking and rolling between Joker's legs. Joker whirled around and lunged forward with his hand outstretched, but Lilith easily blocked the knife. Robin joined her, and the two began to dodge Joker's wild swings. Before long, both of Joker's knives were knocked out of his hand by sleek black projectiles, and Lilith turned to see Batman standing calmly in the bog.

Lilith took a step forward and felt the cut on her side for the first time. She placed a hand on her side and frowned when she saw her blood stain the black leather of her fingerless glove.

"You okay?" Robin asked.

"Yeah," Lilith said. "It's just a flesh wound." Robin nodded and the two joined the League and Team.

"It's over," Batman said as they approached. The Injustice League glanced around at each other and then held up their hands in surrender.

"There will be another day," Vertigo promised.

Lilith frowned. "They're giving up too easily," she muttered to herself.

Batman glanced down at her, but before he could respond, Joker said, "Another day?" Everyone turned to him. "Another day?!" he screamed. "There won't be another day, not for any of us!" _Is that a promise?_ Lilith wondered to herself. Joker began to cackle and his raised his arms and wiggled his fingers. Vines erupted all around them, and spores began to burst, spreading a murky green gas through the air.

"Joker venom spores," Batman warned. "Don't breathe!"

As Lilith sucked in a breath, Doctor Fate called from above them, "Fear not!" Lilith looked up to see his symbol, an ankh, burn golden in the sky. The gas began to sweep upward, and it wasn't long before they stood in a clean—relatively speaking—swamp. "Fate has intervened," he declared.

Once the Injustice League had been rounded up and sent away, Kid Flash rounded on the Team and yelled, "What were you thinking?" He marched toward Doctor Fate. "How could you let him put on the Helmet?" he demanded. "Nabu will _never_ release him now. Kaldur will be trapped inside Doctor Fate forever."

For a tense minute, Lilith stared at Doctor Fate, wondering if she would ever see Kaldur again. But with a flash of light, Aqualad stood before them once more, and Lilith let out a breath she hadn't realized she had been holding.

Kid Flash's eyes widened. "Nabu let you go?" he asked.

"He almost did not," Aqualad admitted, his eyes wide. "But your friend Kent was most helpful. He says hello," he added with a small smile.

"We're done here." Lilith turned to Batman. "The supervillain secret society has been neutralized," he said. "As for _your_ performance," he continued ominously. Lilith stared at him, waiting for his verdict. "It was satisfactory."

Lilith glanced around at the Team and smiled.

"Lilith, make sure you get that cut looked at," Batman said. "I don't want you out because of an infection."

Lilith nodded and Batman turned. The Leaguers took to the sky and disappeared from sight.

* * *

Back at the Cave, Lilith made her way to the hospital wing, Robin and Kaldur at her heels.

"I can bandage myself," Lilith said when she glanced back to see them.

"We're already here," Robin pointed out. Lilith pursed her lips but didn't argue.

Kaldur went to the supply cabinet and retrieved antiseptic and a bandage.

"Thanks," Lilith said as she took the two items from Kaldur. She glanced uncertainly at the two boys, but when they made no move to leave, she sighed and turned her back to them. Lilith unzipped her catsuit and carefully pulled her arms from the sleeves. The top half of her suit fell away from her body, leaving her in her sports bra. When she heard the boys gasp behind her, she winced; she knew what they saw, and that they hadn't been expecting it.

The entire length of her back was covered in scars. The silvery-white lines stood out against her taut and slightly tanned skin. They ranged in thickness and raggedness, and all of them looked old.

Lilith quickly worked on the shallow cut on her side. Once she was done, she shoved her arms through the sleeves and zipped the front. She turned to face Kaldur and Robin, crossing her arms tightly across her chest and not looking at them.

"What…" Robin started.

"They're old," Lilith said shortly. "I can't feel them, so I don't dwell on them."

"Of course," Kaldur spoke up, nudging Robin in the side when he opened his mouth to ask a complete question.

Lilith nodded curtly and then brushed past them.

"Wait." She turned and saw Kaldur behind her. He opened his mouth like he was going to say something, but then thought better of it. Instead, he walked forward and wrapped his arms around Lilith's shoulders. Lilith's eyes widened but put her arms around him.

"What's this for?" she asked quietly.

"I am simply glad you were not more badly injured," Kaldur said.

Lilith gave a small smile and pulled back. "And I'm glad you didn't become the Earth's Sorcerer Supreme." Kaldur smiled at her. A look crossed his face but before Lilith could ask, he had pecked her on the cheek and turned away.

For a moment, Lilith couldn't move. For months she had kept her emotional distance from the Team, just in case something went wrong and she had to leave. It was always easier to leave when you had no attachments. But maybe there was something there…something she was missing.

She shook her head. What was she thinking? Distance was the best way, the _only_ way, to keep from getting hurt. Lilith headed to the zeta-tubes. She needed some air. Her fingers hesitated over the keyboard before she settled on her destination and stepped into the tube.

As soon as she arrived, she took off to a near-by lot she kept a spare motorcycle. She changed in the dark before swinging her leg over the bike and taking off into the night.

An hour later, she reached the middle of nowhere. Naomi pushed the bike into the tall grasses before turning to the field and disappearing from view.

A fifteen minute walk later, Naomi arrived at the lone tree in the sprawling field. She easily clambered to the top-most branch, which wasn't very far off the ground. She stretched out on the thick branch and stared at the countless stars that glittered in the dark sky. She finally felt her body relax, and soon, she was sound asleep.

* * *

 **A/N: So, it's official (sorta, almost): It's gonna be Kaldur/Naomi! Thank you everyone who commented; it really did make me think and this is where those thoughts brought us!**

 **Feel free to ask any questions or leave any comments about Lilith or the story. I love hearing from you!**

 **Hope you enjoyed. Until next time.**


	18. Humanity

**A/N: I own nothing you recognize.**

 **Thank you for all the follows, favorites, and reviews! They really make my day.**

* * *

 **Mount Justice  
October 10, 1650 EDT**

Lilith stood beside Wally and the pair watched the others spar. Lilith had already had her turn on the floor against Conner, and despite his improved fighting skills, she had still come out on top.

"Pineapple juice?" Lilith turned and saw Captain Marvel flying over. Wally leaned forward eagerly in his reclining chair and happily accepted the glass.

"Ahh," he sighed after taking a hefty slurp. "Just what the doctor ordered."

"How's the arm doing, Wally?" Captain Marvel asked, and not for the first time, Lilith founder herself staring at him, hard.

"Well, nothing wrong nachos can't cure," Wally responded slyly, leaning back in his chair, which Lilith had witnessed being carried over by Captain Marvel so he could watch the Team while they did hand-to-hand combat training.

"Nachos? Oh! I'll go get you some!" Captain Marvel exclaimed.

"Is he for real?" Lilith muttered as she watched Captain Marvel fly off toward the kitchen.

Wally shrugged, and said, "Who cares?"

Lilith's attention was brought back to the ring when Robin was thrown to the floor with a groan. Artemis advanced, and Robin sprang to his feet. Behind them, Lilith saw M'gann and Kaldur fighting.

"Good work, everyone," Black Canary said, stepping forward. "In fact, it's been a very productive week."

M'gann, Kaldur, Artemis, and Robin stopped fighting, and Conner and Lilith joined them in the ring.

"Yeah, for everyone except Kid Malingerer," Artemis said, raising her eyebrow and gesturing to Wally.

"Hey!" the boy in question exclaimed. "Arm broken in combat against the Injustice League here," he said, sitting forward and lifting his casted arm.

Black Canary chuckled from behind them. "I've really enjoyed being your, uh, den mother, this week," she said with a grin.

"Recognized: Zatara, 1-1." Lilith turned to watch Zatara appear and step to the zeta-beam controls. He clicked a few keys, and the automated voice said, "Access granted: Zatanna Zatara, A-0-3. Authorization: Zatara, 1-1."

The zeta-beam tube fired up again and the Team walked forward.

"Zatanna, this is the Team," Zatara said, gesturing behind him. "Team, my daughter Zatanna." The girl stepped forward and Lilith rolled her eyes when she caught the expression on Robin's face. Zatanna looked to be Robin's age with light skin, dark hair, and blue eyes.

M'gann flew forward and landed in front of the girl. "Hi!" she said brightly. "I'm—"

She was cut off when Robin jumped in front of her and exclaimed, "Robin!" He cleared his throat awkwardly. "I-I mean, _I'm_ Robin." He turned to the rest of the Team and introduced them. "She's M'gann, and that's Wally, Artemis, Kaldur, Conner, and Lilith. But you can call her Lily," he added as a last minute thought.

"Says who?" Lilith asked, crossing her arms and raising an eyebrow.

Zatanna gave an awkward chuckled. "Uh, it's okay. Lilith works for me."

Kaldur placed a hand on Lilith's shoulder and stepped forward. "Welcome to the Cave," he said to Zatanna.

"Thanks," Zatanna responded quietly.

"So, uh, ar-are you joining the Team?" Robin stammered. Lilith bit her lip; boys were _so_ predictable.

"Let's not get ahead of ourselves," Zatara spoke up. "This is strictly a visit." He turned to Black Canary. "But I _am_ sorry we missed the training. It's something from which Zatanna could benefit," he said.

 _Do the rest of you get the impression we're still on probation with Zatara?_ M'gann asked, glancing around at the Team.

 _Not just Zatara,_ Conner put in. _I mean, why is Marvel still hanging around?_ he asked, gesturing to the Leaguer in question.

 _Because we_ like _having him around_ , Wally said.

You _like having him around,_ Artemis corrected, _'cause he waits on you hand and foot._

 _Doesn't that seem like odd behavior for an adult with the powers of Superman?_ Lilith asked, not for the first time.

 _And your point is?_ Wally asked.

 _It almost makes one nostalgic for Red Tornado's tenure as our supervisor,_ Kaldur said, bringing everyone back on focus.

 _Yeah,_ Robin scoffed. _At least he trusted us._

 _If you ignore the fact we couldn't have trusted him!_ Conner exclaimed. _He was a traitor! That machine nearly got M'—all of use killed!_

 _He's a robot_ , Lilith snapped, turning to glare at Conner. _He can't help it if someone programs him to do something._

Before anyone could respond to Lilith's logic, Zatanna spoke up. "Are you guys having a psychic conversation?" she asked. The Team glanced at her, forgetting she was there, and Black Canary and Zatara glanced at the Team. "'Cause…I can't decide if that's cool…or really rude."

Conner glanced at Black Canary and sighed. "Alright, fine," he said. "We were talking about Tornado." He turned to her. "It's been weeks since his attack, and the League hasn't told us anything."

"The League is searching for Tornado," Black Canary said firmly, "as well as the other androids that invaded the cave, _and_ their creator, T.O. Morrow. Batman's made tracking them down our highest priority." Lilith noticed Zatanna grow bored of the conversation and wander over to Wolf, who had taken up residency by Wally's abandoned chair.

"But you've found none of the above," Robin pointed out, stepping forward.

"Not yet," Black Canary said with slightly narrowed eyes. "But Tornado is Justice League. The Team is _not_ to pursue this."

"Why don't you all take Zatanna on a, uh, tour of the Cave?" Zatar asked haltingly. The Team glanced around for Zatanna and found her sitting on the floor with Wolf, scratching him behind the ears.

"Oh, you're giving a tour?" Captain Marvel asked as he appeared. "Cool!"

"Actually, I was hoping you'd take Wolf outside," Conner said. "He needs the exercise," he explained. "We'll join you in a few."

"Sure, sure!" Captain Marvel said enthusiastically. "I can do that. Come on, Wolf," he said, turning away from them and leading the large white creature outside.

"Wh-wh-what...my nachos!" Wally cried, and Lilith grabbed him by the collar of his shirt and pulled him after her.

Kaldur led them through the kitchen and Zatanna brushed past Lilith and walk beside Robin. Lilith raised an eyebrow at Zatanna's change of clothes but didn't comment.

Robin glanced at Zatanna and his eyes widened. "When did you—how did you—"

"We're not _really_ taking a tour, are we?" Zatanna asked, ignoring Robin's flubbered words.

"No," Conner said, turning around from his spot at the front with Kaldur. "We're hunting down that robot."

Conner turned to Kaldur. "Yes," he confirmed. "We are."

"Oh, wow," Zatanna muttered. "Out loud and everything."

"What about new girl?" Artemis asked hesitantly.

"I'm sure she won't tell," Robin said confidently.

"I can't tell," Zatanna said with a mischievous look in her eyes. "Not if you kidnap me," she hinted.

"Oh, she's gonna fit in great," Artemis said, raising an eyebrow and putting a hand on her hip.

The Team and Zatanna hurried to the Bioship, and Lilith took the front seat now that they were an odd number again. Kaldur and Artemis sat on either side of her, and Zatanna and Robin filed in on one side and Conner and Wally on the other.

Black Canary's voice filled the ship. "M'gann, the Bioship wasn't authorized for departure."

"We're kidnapping Zatanna," M'gann chirped, "uh, to show her Happy Harbor," she corrected quickly. "Be back soon!" she said.

"Roger that," Black Canary responded slowly. "Uh, have fun."

"She _so_ did not buy that," Lilith said with a raised eyebrow.

"Who cares?" Conner said loudly. "We need to find Tornado, and if this is the only way to do it, then so be it."

" _Where_ are we going?" Wally chimed in.

"Batman is the world's greatest detective," Robin said thoughtfully, "and he searched for Tornado and Morrow in every logical location. If we're gonna do better—"

"Then maybe we need an illogical solution," Lilith finished slowly.

"A truly _dumb_ idea," Robin declared. Everyone turned around and stared at Wally.

"As a matter of fact…" he started, and he proceeded with what was a shockingly brilliant idea.

* * *

 **Belle Reve  
October 10, 1835 CDT**

"Warden Strange owed us a favor for stopping last month's prison break." Everyone stood behind Miss Martian as she glared at the person seated across from her on the other side of the table. "He's given us five minutes with you," she said, leaning over the table and bracing her hands on the surface.

"Spill, Ivo," Superboy said loudly. "How do we find T.O. Morrow and his Reds?"

"Now why in the world would I know how to find Morrow?" Ivo asked in a whiny voice that grated on Lilith's nerves.

" _Because_ ," Kid Flash drawled, "and here's a truly _dumb_ idea: you're Morrow's biggest competitor in the evil android game. Who better to keep track of what he's up to, and where?" he asked.

"Ah," Ivo said, clasping his hands in front of him. "I see your point. So let me rephrase—why in the world would I _tell_ you how to find Morrow?"

"He knows," Aqualad said. He turned to Miss Martian. "Do what you must."

Miss Martian's eyes glowed green and Ivo laughed. "Oh, please," he scoffed. "As if I've never faced a telepath before."

Lilith pushed her way to the front and slowly drew out her knife. "Do you see my point?" she asked lowly, not taking her eyes off Ivo. She twiddled it in her fingers. "Now, I have good aim," she said conversationally, casually crossing an arm over her chest. "But a shame it would be if my fingers were to…" The knife left her fingers and passed by Ivo's head, barely nicking his ear and drawing blood. "…slip," she finished, turning to stare Ivo straight in the eyes, her voice flat and her face void of emotion.

Suddenly, Zatanna appeared at Ivo's side and she exclaimed, " _Trulb tuo S'worrom eurt noitacol!_ "

"Morrow's in a secret underground base beneath Yellowstone National Park, one hundred meters south of Old Faithful," Ivo recited, his eyes wide as he stared at Lilith, who had drawn her second knife.

"I had that," she frowned, walking around Zatanna to retrieve her knife from the wall.

"Wait," Ivo exclaimed. "What just happened?"

Lilith turned around and saw everyone staring with wide eyes. "What?" she asked, sheathing the knives and not looking at her Teammates. "Are you looking at me or at her?" she asked, glancing at Zatanna. When no one responded, she sighed. "Let's go," she said, walking past them. "We have what we need."

When they reached the Bioship, Superboy finally broke the silence. "How did you get like that?"

Lilith snapped her gaze to him and gave him a hard look. "What's that supposed to mean?" she demanded, immediately on the defense.

"He simply means to ask where you acquired your…skills," Aqualad suggested. "After all, it is not many people who could easily use a twelve-inch dagger like a throwing knife."

"Where I grew up," Lilith said softly, staring at her hands which were clasped in her lap. "The Academy."

Silence descended around them.

About ten minutes before they reached Yellowstone National Park, Aqualad finally broke the silence.

"Block out all external communication," he directed. "Soon, Canary and Zatara—Batman too, I image—will know of our… _visit_ with Professor Ivo. We haven't much time."

"Look," Robin said, chuckling nervously behind Lilith. She glanced back and saw him looking at Zatanna. "I'm trying to be all nonchalant here…"

"Why?" Zatanna asked. "Be as chalant as you like," she flirted.

Lilith saw Robin grin in the reflection of the glass. She bowed her head and polished her already-spotless blade. As she watched her reflection in the smooth metal, her hand clenched over it and she squeezed her eyes shut, though she wasn't sure if it was from the pain of the knife biting into her palm or from a memory as it swam in front of her eyes.

"I think we're all just trying to get a handle on your powers," Artemis spoke up. "Could you teleport us to Tornado, or Morrow to a cell, or force his bots to surrender?" she inquired.

"Or create peace on Earth for all time?" Zatanna suggested. "Zatara can't even do all that, and I'm nowhere near on my dad's level. I need to know a spell cold, or else have time to prep it," she explained. "Plus, all magic requires energy, which usually has to come from within. I just can't make the impossible happen at will."

"What's our ETA to Yellowstone?" Superboy suddenly demanded. "I'm _way_ past ready to stuff Tornado into a trash compactor."

"Are you so certain he betrayed us?" Aqualad asked.

"Aren't you?" Superboy yelled.

"I'm not convinced," Lilith said softly, speaking for the first time since stepping on the Bioship.

"And even so, that makes him but the victim of his creator's programming," Aqualad added.

"He deserves a chance to prove he's more than the weapon he was designed to be," Lilith said. "Don't you think?" she asked Superboy, giving him a pointed look. He didn't respond, but Lilith got the feeling he understood at what she was hinting. And something in Lilith's tone told Superboy she wasn't just talking to him.

They flew over Old Faithful and Miss Martian set them down.

"Steal mode," Aqualad instructed, turning his outfit black. Kid Flash touched his lightning bolt, and Artemis the arrow at the center of her chest. Miss Martian shifted to black, and the back opened.

"I recommend you stay behind," Aqualad said, walking up to Zatanna.

"Is than an order?" she challenged, raising an eyebrow.

"No," Aqualad said truthfully, shaking his head. "You must do as you see fit."

"Good," Zatanna smirked. " _Emit ot yrt tou eht wen kool_ ," she chanted. A silvery-white cloud billowed around her, and when it disappeared, she was wearing a feminine version of her father's uniform: black shorts, a white button-down shirt with a white bow tie, a muted gold vest, and a black jacket with tails with white gloves, sheer black stockings, and black shoes.

The Team dashed off the ship and into the trees.

Robin stopped them at a clearing and consulted his GPS. "Ivo was right," he said. "Something's down there." Aqualad ran forward and the others followed.

Before Lilith had gotten very far, a strong winded buffered her back. She crouched down and watched as her Teammates lost their footing and tumbled back. She looked up and saw Red Tornado lording over them, his arms crossed and his cape billowing. He raised his arms, and another tornado appeared, and another, and another, until they were completely surrounded by tall red tornados.

"Why, Tornado?" Miss Martian yelled. "Why are you doing this?" He didn't respond.

 _Message received?_ Miss Martian asked them through their link. Lilith squinted through the debris and saw two words carved into the hard earth.

"Who cares why?" Superboy yelled angrily once everyone had confirmed. "Nail him!"

Superboy ran forward, and Aqualad called, "Superboy, maneuver seven!" Superboy stopped and laced his fingers together, throwing Aqualad in the air. Before he could reach Red Tornado, the latter just leaned forward and punched Aqualad hard. He went flying back and landed on top of Superboy.

Artemis ran forward and shot two arrows, Robin running up to join her and Lilith pointing her guns at him. Red Tornado waved his hand and the arrows and stunners were redirected at them.

"Look out!" Robin yelled as the arrows hit the ground at Artemis's feet. Lilith watched as the five stunners went sailing toward them and Lilith jumped out of the way just as Robin was thrown back by the explosive arrows.

"Ow," Lilith groaned as Robin landed on her back.

"That does it, Red," Lilith heard Kid Flash growl. "You're not the only spin doctor around here," he declared. He started his own black twister and moved toward Red Tornado.

Miss Martian had flown behind him, but Red Tornado turned and caught her wrist, throwing her at Kid Flash's tornado. They hit the ground and rolled.

Zatanna stepped forward as Lilith raised her guns. Zatanna stretched out her hands and said, " _Etaerc a…a…dleihs dnuora em_ …" but it was halted and sounded guessed. Before she could finish, Red Tornado reached down and grabbed her by the throat. He tossed Zatanna aside and sent her flying.

"Quite a performance brother," a robotic voice called, "but we both know that's all it was." Lilith glanced up and saw another red android with a triangle on its chest rising on a rock. "I have all your memories, Tornado, plus a next-gen processor. I know your next move before you do." The new android stretched his arms to the side and Lilith felt the ground rumble. She saw a large boulder hover behind him, and carved into the face of the stone were the words _Play Dead_. The android scoffed. "Blowing a message into the sand?" he asked. His fists glowed and the boulder flew apart.

Aqualad and Superboy leapt forward to intercept the rocks, and Miss Martian held up her hands to slow down some more. The others were left to dodge out of the way.

 _Zatanna?_ Lilith heard Robin think in her head.

 _I'm good,_ Zatanna responded. _The Red Tornado's getting away,_ she informed.

 _Is he abandoning us?_ Artemis demanded.

 _I don't believe that,_ Miss Martian thought, taking to the air.

Lilith saw Kid Flash run up the android's rock. "You stand no chance against me, humans," he bellowed, and he knocked Kid Flash away.

"We're not human!" Superboy and Miss Martian yelled simultaneously, both of them flying at him.

"Apologies," the android said, raising his arms once more, and two giant stone hands erupted from the ground and clapped Miss Martian and Superboy together. "I suppose the properly inclusive term is… _meatbags._ "

Aqualad and Artemis yelled out, and Lilith turned in time to see them disappear beneath a newly-created chasm. An arrow appeared, and the pair landed with a thud on the ground before the crevice closed once more.

Lilith danced around the android, firing what she could. She felt the ground shake beneath her and she jumped away before a sharp point exploded from the earth.

A rock jutted out from the new seam, and Robin ran up that, throwing a red birdarang at the peak. The android caught it and it exploded, but he wasn't even fazed. "Tornado's memory files and my superior processing speed allow me to anticipate your every move," he boasted.

" _Ekoms emoceb a dlofdnilb!_ " Zatanna called and a blindfold appeared over the android's eyes. "Tornado never knew my moves," she bragged, and Robin dropped next to her.

"And I bet you've got some good ones," he flirted. Zatanna turned to him and raised her eyebrows. "Whoa, sorry," Robin said quickly, holding up his hands. "That may have come off a little too 'Wally,''" he said with an apologetic shrug.

Zatanna laughed. "I don't mind," she said.

Lilith glanced back at them. "You two can flirt later! Right now, we've got a problem!" she yelled, pointing in front of her.

The android had burned through his blindfold and behind him, a volcano erupted. _Guess he's Red Volcano,_ Lilith thought to herself as lava began to flow over the sides.

Kid Flash ran forward but was knocked to the side when Red Volcano threw burning rocks at him. _He's activating a stage two eruption,_ he informed the Team. _It gets to stage three, kiss the hemisphere good-bye_.

 _Hit him from all sides!_ Aqualad shouted, pulling his water-bearers out and running forward. He caught a rock in the chest, and Superboy launched himself forward. Red Volcano caught Superboy's fist and threw him aside. Miss Martian snuck in around Red Volcano and used her telekinesis to pull him back. Red Volcano fought her and turned around. Beside her, a crack appeared and spewed lava in the air.

Miss Martian screamed and Superboy raced forward. Red Volcano dropped between them and knocked Superboy back. He picked up Miss Martian by her cape and raised his hand.

Zatanna said, " _Ekoms dna srorrim…Etaerc Dik Hsalf snoisulli!_ " and the smoke that was rising from the crevices took the form of Kid Flash. They raced forward. "I use a scaled-down version when I want to sneak out of the house," she explained with a grin.

Red Volcano raised his hand and shot boulders at the Kid Flashes. While Red Volcano was being distracted by the fakes, the real Kid Flash ran forward and snatched Miss Martian. He skidded to a stop by the others.

Behind them, the ground rumbled and a wall of water appeared. It aimed at Red Tornado and shoved him into the lava.

"Nice hit!" Robin exclaimed with a broad smile at Aqualad.

"The hit was not mine," Aqualad informed. "Look!" Behind them, the water-red from the Cave stood with his arms outstretched. More water rose from the ground, and he was lifted up with it. As Red Volcano stood, more water hit his chest. Red Volcano started to rise on a rock column, but Red Tornado flew at it, causing it to shatter. Red Volcano fell again, and when he stood, he was bombed with fireballs.

"Sister! Brothers!" Red Volcano exclaimed in surprise as he caught the fire-red's hands. "Stop!" Water-red flew at him, and he, Red Volcano, and fire-red disappeared under the lava. Red Tornado flew above the spot where they disappeared and propelled himself downward.

Superboy hurried forward and snatched Red Tornado by the neck, pulling him away before he was completely melted. The ground beneath them rumbled.

"Tornado, listen!" Kid Flash yelled. "We're on the verge of a stage three super-volcano eruption. There's no turning back from that! We need to vent pressure, fast. But the ash cloud will bring on worldwide nuclear winter _unless_ you divert it." Red Tornado nodded and Kid Flash turned to Robin. "Triangulate around the pressure locus," he commanded.

"Right," Robin said quickly. He pulled up a hologram and tree red dots appeared. "There, there, and there."

Artemis shot an arrow that burst into three, and they landed at the designated points. Red Tornado flew up and disappeared in the smoke. They saw the ash begin to syphon away, and the lava cooled.

"Yes!" Kid Flash exclaimed, doing a fist pump. Red Tornado landed a few feet from them, and they ran forward.

"We can fix him," Lilith said, gesturing to Red Tornado's missing lower half and looking as though she was already analyzing what needed to be done. "Can we access Morrow's lab?" she asked. Red Tornado nodded, and he directed them to the underground lab.

Once they reached the lab, Lilith, Robin, and Kid Flash gathered around Red Tornado's table and began working.

With the three of them working together, Lilith was soon stepping back and sighing. "There," she said, sounding relieved. "That should do it."

"Yes," Red Tornado confirmed. "I can speak again."

"You were willing to sacrifice yourself to save the planet," Aqualad said, stepping to the bed.

"The planet would have survived," Red Tornado said logically. "It is humanity that was saved, though not by me." He looked around at the Team. "My sister and brother were the true heroes this day."

"My point is this: you were never the mole, never a traitor," Aqualad said, putting a hand on Red Tornado's shoulder.

"No," Red Tornado agreed. "I left to protect you from further attack and to find my creator, Morrow."

"Cool," Kid Flash said, picking up a hand. "Souvenir."

"Reddy," Robin called, lifting up a leg. "We can build you, better than you were before."

"I do not believe I should be repaired," Red Tornado said.

"Why'd you volunteer to become our den mother in the first place?" Superboy demanded from his spot in the corner.

"I was the pragmatic choice," Red Tornado explained. "I do not require sleep. I have no secret identity or second life to live."

"But you have advanced A.I. programming," Kid Flash said, his voice rising in excitement, "designed to learn, adapt, evolve."

"Hello, Megan," Miss Martian said, hitting her forehead. "You wanted to become more human!"

"And you couldn't do that with the League," Lilith guessed.

"They're stiffs," Artemis agreed.

"You're sure not gonna learn emotion from Batman," Robin said with a chuckle. "Trust me."

"Then the Cave was not a proving ground only for us," Aqualad said, "but for you as well."

"I do not know if these statements are accurate," Red Tornado said, "but perhaps they are true. And if I understand the term correctly, I believe I have come to… _care_ about you all."

"See?" Superboy said softly. "Practically a meatbag already."

"Which reminds me…" Red Tornado trailed. He stood from the bed and turned to the Team. "I will see you all back at the Cave," he said. "There is something I wish to do." With that he turned and flew out of the lab.

"We should leave as well," Aqualad said. "It is getting late." The Team nodded and followed him out of the lab. The walk to the Bioship was quiet, and into the ride back as well.

Lilith leaned back in her with a heavy sigh. Around her, the others were lost in thought.

Robin broke the silence. "So," he asked, leaning toward Zatanna, who sat in front of him. "Good kidnapping?"

"Actually, yeah," Zatanna responded. "Best ever."

Robin gave a small laugh. "First of many, I hope," he said.

" _If_ my dad doesn't ground me for life," Zatanna said, turning back around.

Lilith turned around in her chair. "We can talk to him," she said with a small smile. "After all, how much safer can you be when you're with the Team?"

* * *

 **Mount Justice  
October 11, 0113 EDT**

Lilith was the last to leave the ship when it docked back at the Cave. Once she made sure she was alone, she headed to the hospital wing. It was dark when she entered the room and she carefully crept in, not bothering to turn on the lights.

She had just reached the cabinet when the lights flicked on. Lilith dropped the metal tin and reached for her gun, whirling around and pointing it at the figure at the door.

"Whoa," Robin said, putting up his hands. "It's just me." Lilith hesitated before she straightened and put the gun back in its holster. She stooped to scoop up the tin she had dropped but Robin beat her to it. She took it with a stiff smile and turned away but he caught her wrist.

"What happened to your hand?" he asked, grabbing her left wrist and turning it over so her palm was exposed. A nasty gash wasn't bleeding, but it was covered in dirt.

"Nothing," Lilith muttered, tugging her hand away and pouring rubbing alcohol on a cotton ball. She ran the cotton ball over the cut and winced but didn't make a sound. Once it was clean she rubbed disinfectant on it and went to bandage it with cloth.

"Let me do that," Robin insisted, taking the gauze from Lilith's hand and binding her cut tightly.

"Thanks," Lilith mumbled, not looking at him and putting away the things she had used.

"Are you okay?" Robin asked. Lilith raised an eyebrow, and if eyebrow-raising had a tone, Robin would have gone with sarcastic. "Right," Robin said, rubbing his neck awkwardly. "Do you want to talk about it?"

Lilith looked at him, and for a moment, he thought she would say yes. Instead, she just sighed and shook her head. "Good-night, Robin," she said, and she turned and walked out the door.

When she turned around again, she almost ran into Kaldur. "Whoa," she said.

"What happened to your hand?" Kaldur asked curiously, glancing down at her newly bandaged hand.

"Uh, accidentally cut myself," Lilith said, glancing at Kaldur sheepishly.

Kaldur gave her a small smile. "Good thing it was not worse," he said.

Lilith gave a small laugh. "Right," she said. For a moment they stood, neither sure what to say. "Well, I'd better get home," Lilith finally said. "I'll see you later."

Kaldur nodded. "Good-night," he said.

"Good-night," Lilith said before turning away and heading home.

* * *

 **A/N: Hope you enjoyed.**

 **Let me know what you think, and if you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask!**

 **Until next time.**


	19. Failsafe

**A/N: I own nothing you recognize.**

 **Thank you for all the comments, follows, and favorites. They make my day :)**

 **A little note on the budding Kaldur/Naomi relationship: There is a reason for the slow development! I have plans for the two in my next story, which I've already started to plot, and to make it work, I need them to just start dating at the end of Season 1. So bear with me, and I hope I can make it up!**

* * *

 **Mount Justice  
October 16, 1601 EDT**

Zatara appeared next to the video footage. "Tornado, did you—"

"Yes, Zatara, we saw," Red Tornado responded. "Celestial defenses have failed. Initiate all terrestrial measures."

"Affirmative," Zatara confirmed. "See you in the field." He disappeared and Red Tornado turned to the Team.

"I must join the League," he informed. "We will protect the planet at all costs. But should we fail, the responsibility falls to you."

Aqualad glanced at the Team and then looked back at Red Tornado. "We stand ready."

* * *

The Team watched gravely as hero after hero disappeared before their eyes.

"We are Earth's heroes now," Aqualad said, not taking his eyes off the screens as if hoping a Leaguer would appear.

"So what are we waiting for, a theme song?" Superboy demanded.

"A strategy," Aqualad responded evenly. "Earth's weapons are ineffective. And it has been made tragically clear a direct attack will not succeed."

Robin tapped his holographs. "Checking satellite imagery," he informed.

A holographic globe appeared, and all across the continents were splattered with red, as if signifying the blood that had been lost.

"Here's where the aliens are now," Robin said.

By Greenland, a large red dot appeared.

"This one get lost?" Superboy asked, pointing at it. Robin zoomed in the map.

"It's Superman's Fortress of Solitude," he said.

"Superman has a Fortress of Solitude?" Superboy asked, sounding hurt.

"Its power source must have attracted the aliens' attention," Robin continued. "At least enough to send a scout ship to investigate."

Superboy turned away and muttered, "Must be some fortress."

"Conner," Miss Martian said softly, reaching out to touch his arm.

"No, it's okay," Superboy said in a tone that made it clear it _wasn't_ okay. "I guess there's a lot about Superman I'll never know," he muttered. "Uh, you know," he added hastily, "now."

"We will target this lone ship," Aqualad declared.

"Yeah, break it down, build more, hit those ugly aliens with their own mojo!" Kid Flash yelled angrily. Artemis elbowed him. "Ow!" he said.

"Martian and Kryptonian in the house," she whispered to him, glancing at the two in question. Superboy and Miss Martian looked at Kid Flash.

"Uh, heh," Kid Flash said nervously. "Not that all aliens are automatically ugly," he said.

"Let us go," Aqualad said, and Kid Flash was grateful for the chance to leave.

They boarded the Bioship and took off.

* * *

Once they reached their new destination, Aqualad called, "New stealth tech." He, Kid Flash, and Artemis changed their uniforms to white and greys with a touch, and Lilith, Superboy, and Robin took turns changing into white gear.

Lilith looked at her uniform. Everything, from her guns to her utility belt to the hilts of her knives to her mask was now light grey. Her standard one-piece was white and a white hooded parka lined with fur was added. Lilith changed, strapped her utility belt around her waist, shrugged on the parka, and placed her new mask over her eyes. She stepped out to let Superboy change, and she pulled the hood over her head to hide her dark hair.

Once they were ready, Artemis crept out with her bow ready and Miss Martian flew above, camouflaged. _Communications disabled,_ Miss Martian informed once she snapped off one of the ship's wings off. Miss Martian let the ship fall to the snow with a thud. _Propulsion disabled,_ she added.

Artemis stood from her crouch behind a jutting rock and fired an arrow. The hatch of the ship was covering in quick-hardening foam, trapping the aliens inside. The ship aimed its gun, and Artemis ducked behind the rocks and snow again. _And E.T.s are sealed inside,_ she announced.

Aqualad burst up from the water behind the ship and landed on its other wing. The gun aimed itself at him but Wolf leapt forward and swung the gun, causing it to misfire. Superboy jumped onto the ship and held the gun steady. Robin and Lilith landed on the ship while Kid Flash ran around and stood on its other wing.

Robin pulled up his hologram. _Identifying weapon's structural stress points and links to the ship_ , he informed the Team. _Here, here, and here,_ he said, pointing at the spots and Miss Martian raised her hand and caused the arm to give.

As Superboy began pulling the gun off the ship, two smaller rays popped out and began to fire up. Wolf growled and knocked Superboy out of the way just as the gun fired, and Wolf vanished.

 _Wolf,_ Miss Martian thought sadly.

 _There was no indication of feedback,_ Robin said. _I-I'm sorry._

 _Can't do anything for him now,_ Superboy sighed. He walked back to the ship and finished detaching the gun from the ship. _Let's go,_ he grunted.

Miss Martian pulled up the Bioship and Superboy jumped on. Miss Martian placed her hands on the ship. _Rerouting systems to integrate weapon into ship's biomatrix,_ she informed. _We'll need to decamouflage for a few minutes._

 _May not have a few minutes,_ Robin warned as he, Kid Flash, and Aqualad jumped onto the Bioship. Lilith glanced up from her spot beneath the Bioship and saw two black ships circling them from above.

 _Miss Martian, open fire!_ Aqualad commanded.

 _Can't_ , Miss Martian thought desperately. _Weapon systems are offline to incorporate the new cannon. And that's not fully integrated yet either._

 _Got you covered!_ Artemis thought just as Lilith said, _Get inside. I've got you covered._

Lilith took off to join Artemis, who notched three arrows. _I'm almost there,_ Artemis told them. The arrows hit their marks and one of the ships exploded. The second landed on the ice and skidded. Lilith pulled up even with Artemis and fired at the ship.

 _Artemis, Lilith, behind you!_ Miss Martian warned. Lilith felt her body get knocked sideways and she hit the ice with a thud. When she glanced up, Artemis was gone.

"Artemis!" Miss Martian screamed.

Kid Flash yelled the archer's name and Aqualad slid down the side of the Bioship. "Get inside," he said. "All of you." He ran toward Lilith and helped her to her feet before slashing his water-bearers. A ripple started in the ice and the last ship was raised up on a wave. The water beneath it suddenly disappeared and was replaced with razor-sharp ice shards. They impaled the ship, and it exploded.

"They're dead," Kid Flash choked out. "Every single alien. If it's the last thing I do!"

"I told you to get inside," Aqualad panted when he turned back to the Bioship.

Lilith turned to enter, but a hand grabbed her arm roughly and yanked her around. Kid Flash glared down at her. "Why didn't you move faster?" he accused.

The white of Lilith's masks widened at Kid Flash's accusation. "You're blaming me for Artemis's death?!" she demanded.

"Yes!" Kid Flash yelled. "If you hadn't been so slow, Artemis wouldn't have needed to save your butt!"

"It's not my fault she decided to go and play hero!" Lilith retaliated, shoving Kid Flash's hand off her.

"Don't you dare blame her!" Kid Flash screamed, backing Lilith into the side of the ship.

"And don't blame her," Aqualad said with a scowl. "We cannot be at each other's throats with the world in need of saving."

The pair didn't respond. Lilith pushed past Kid Flash and stalked into the ship. Artemis's seat remained, and everyone gave it a wide berth. Lilith took her usual spot and sank into the seat, letting out a shaky breath as she did.

They took the air, and no one spoke. The only sound for a while was Miss Martian's sobs. Soon, though, Kid Flash was pounding angrily at the dash board in front of him, yelling incoherently with each hit.

"There will be time to mourn later," Aqualad said firmly over Kid Flash's yells. "Now we have a job to do," he said as he stood. "Defend the Earth and ensure Artemis's death was not in vain."

"Back to the Cave?" Miss Martina asked.

"The Hall of Justice," Aqualad corrected. "The human race must know that there are still heroes defending them. There is still hope."

* * *

When they arrived at the capital, three ships had beaten them there. Superboy immediately stood and Miss Martian opened a hole in the bottom of the Bioship. Superboy jumped through and landed on one while Miss Martian disintegrated the other two.

When the Bioship landed, Lilith heard troops begin to cheer. They joined Superboy just as he said, "I'm not Superman."

An older man stepped forward. "I don't know who you are, son," he said. "And right now, I don't care. You wear the _S_ and you got the job done."

"I'm not Superman," Superboy repeated, this time quietly and more to himself.

"Tell that to the enemy," the older man said. Aqualad stepped forward and the man saluted. "General Wade Eiling, U.S. Air Force," he introduced.

"Aqualad," their leader replied. "Justice League. We'll help you salvage as many of the aliens' cannons as possible. Then we start taking back what is ours."

"We should gather at the Hall of Justice," Lilith chimed in, stepping forward so she was even with Aqualad. "That way we can regroup at the Cave if need be."

"Very well," Eiling said with a nod. "We'll meet you there."

The Team went back to the Bioship and took off for the Hall. When they arrived, they walked inside and saw the great statues dedicated to the original seven in ruins.

"They're really gone," Robin said quietly as he looked around at the crumbled statues. Lilith walked up to Batman's head and reached out to brush his forehead. She felt tears finally start to burn in her eyes and she clamped them shut and bowed her head. _I love you, Bruce_ , she thought. _You were the father I never had._

Lilith glanced up when she heard Miss Martian start to sob again and saw her kneeling at Martian Manhunter's statue. Suddenly, she flew backward, looking as though she had seen a ghost. She thrust her hands forward and with a grunt, lifted the statue. There, beneath the rubble, was the Martian Manhunter.

"Uncle J'onn!" Miss Martian exclaimed happily. She tossed the statue aside and flew down to embrace him.

 _M'gann,_ Aqualad said, stepping in front of her, facing Manhunter. _Check his mind. Make sure he is whom he appears to be._

 _It's him,_ Miss Martian thought confidently. _He's real, and he's alive._

"But we saw you get disintegrated," Superboy said out loud. "You _and_ Superman. And everyone."

"Yes, I remember," Manhunter said faintly, clutching his head and putting an arm around Miss Martian for support. "But…I cannot remember how I survived. Or how I arrived here."

"Maybe you were density shifting," Miss Martian suggested, "and the beam passed right through you!"

"Scrambling your brains along the way!" Robin reasoned.

"My mind _is_ clouded," Manhunter admitted. "I feel certain I had something important to tell you," he said, turning to Miss Martian.

 _Hello, Wally_ , Kid Flash said, hitting his forehead. _Come on!_

He dashed outside and Robin followed.

Lilith stayed behind and approached Manhunter. "There's no way the others survived, is there?" she asked softly.

"I am sorry, Lilith," Manhunter said.

Lilith nodded and bowed her head. _He's gone,_ she thought. _The first person to show me any compassion is gone. And now it seems the Scotts are gone too, and—_ She cut herself off before she could finish that thought.

 _I knew it!_ came Kid Flash's excited voice. _Look! It's giving off zeta-beams, the same stuff that powers our zeta-tubes! This thing doesn't disintegrate, it-it teleports! Artemis is alive!_

 _Maybe,_ Robin thought hesitantly. _But—_

 _No maybes,_ Kid Flash exclaimed. _They're all alive._

Lilith's head snapped up and she allowed herself to smile a little. _Maybe my family isn't gone,_ she dared to believe.

"That must've been what you wanted to tell us!" Miss Martian said, turning to her uncle.

Their euphoria was short-lived. More ships approached and began firing.

 _We're on our way,_ Aqualad thought.

 _Negative,_ Robin said quickly. _We can't win this. Miss Martian, camo the Bioship._

Miss Martian suddenly gasped in pain and she and Manhunter collapsed.

"M'gann!" Superboy exclaimed. He rushed toward her while Aqualad helped Manhunter and Lilith stood ready at the entrance.

"That didn't feel like—" Lilith heard Miss Martian gasp behind her.

 _We're falling back!_ Robin yelled in their heads.

Eiling and his troops filed in with Robin and Kid Flash right behind them. "We're trapped," Eiling declared.

The doors suddenly slid open and Aqualad said, "Maybe not." Everyone quickly ran through and into the library. While the Team and Eiling ran to the back, Eiling's soldiers knelt and aimed their guns at the entrance.

"We can zeta to the Cave," Aqualad suggested, "if you can grant us computer clearance to access the tubes," he added, looking behind him at Manhunter.

"I can only authorize one at a time," Manhunter informed as they approached the sealed doors.

"Send the soldiers first," Aqualad commanded.

"Belay that!" Eiling yelled. "You seven are assets we cannot afford to lose." Aqualad glanced at Manhunter and nodded.

The camera appeared from the ceiling and scanned Manhunter. "Override. Martian Manhunter, 0-7," he commanded.

"Recognized. Access granted." The doors slid open and the zeta-tubes began to warm up. "Miss Martian, B-0-6. Robin, B-0-2. Kid Flash, B-0-4."

An explosion rocked the foundation before Kid Flash could step through. Superboy turned to help a soldier whose leg got trapped beneath a boulder, and Kid Flash turned to follow. Before he could take step, Aqualad caught him across the chest and threw him back into the tube, and Kid Flash vanished in a flash of gold.

Superboy helped the solider up and walked with him to the tubes. "He goes next," Superboy insisted.

"Fine," Aqualad relented. "Then you."

"Private Jason Bard, USMC," the automated voice declared.

"Can you make it?" Lilith heard Superboy ask.

"Sure, Superman," Bard said.

"I'm not—" Superboy started to say but the voice interrupted by declaring him "Superboy, B-0-5." Superboy jumped into the tube and zetaed away.

One by one, the remaining soldiers disappeared in a flash of orange light.

As General Eiling disappeared, Aqualad yelled at Manhunter, "They need you more than me. Go!"

"And they need you more than me," Lilith said firmly when Aqualad turned to face her once Manhunter had been transported to the Cave.

Aqualad looked at Lilith in a way she wasn't expecting before he pushed her back into the sight of the camera and Lilith screamed, "NO!" as the camera announced her. Aqualad gave her another shove and Lilith watched helplessly as Aqualad vanished.

When Lilith arrived at the Cave, Kid Flash immediately sat up. "Where's Aqualad?" he demanded.

Lilith let out a gasp and just shook her head, squeezing her eyes shut. With a yell, Kid Flash rushed forward. "You did it again!" he yelled, pushing her against the wall of the Cave. "You took the place of someone who should have been here!"

"You mean you wish I had died instead," Lilith said softly, not bothering to pose it as a question.

"Yes!" Kid Flash yelled. His eyes widened and he quickly pulled away from Lilith. "Wait, I-I didn't mean—"

Lilith stared at him, wide-eyed. She knew he was mad at her, but she didn't think he'd be that mad. "No," she said thickly, shaking her head. "I know what these situations do to people. They say exactly what they mean, and no matter how much they deny it to the people that heard, they can _never_ deny it to themselves."

"I-I'm sorry," Kid Flash stumbled.

"Save it," Lilith snapped. "We have a world to save, and I don't have time to dwell on the fact that a member of my family just told me they wished I had _died_."

Kid Flash was shocked at her view of the Team, but she had already pushed past him and joined the circle of what remained of the Justice League.

After a pause, Robin finally spoke up. "Our next mission is clear," he said. "If we believe the aliens have been teleporting their victims—"

"We do," Kid Flash said confidently, looking evenly at Lilith. "They were teleported, and if it had been you, Lilith, we would work to save you. _All_ of us would."

"Do your best to dig yourself out of that hole, West," Lilith said emotionlessly. "You still implied something, and you can't take it back."

"No, ple—" Kid Flash started to say, but Lilith had glanced at Robin and nodded.

With a sigh, Robin continued. "Then the only reasonable detention facility is here." A holograph appeared above his glove and an image of a large spiked teardrop-shaped black object with glowing red baubles. "Their mothership…atop what used to be Smallville." He turned to Manhunter. "Ring any bells?" he asked.

"No," he responded. "I'm sorry.

"Superboy, you'll create a distraction," Robin directed, turning back to the boy in question.

"No!" Miss Martian gasped. "He's offering you as a sacrifice," she said, turning to Superboy. "Aqualad would never do that," she declared.

"You're right," Robin acquiesced. "Aqualad would sacrifice himself. A mistake that just cost us our leader," he said softly. "Superboy is the most likely to be perceived as a threat," Robin reasoned at his usual volume again, "motivating the aliens to deploy."

"Worst case, he's teleported inside," Kid Flash reassured. "And we set him free along with Artemis. And, uh, Aqualad, and everyone. And I mean _everyone_ ," he emphasized, looking directly at Lilith.

"Just stop it!" Lilith yelled angrily. "What's done is done and it can't be taken back! Just leave it!"

Kid Flash opened his mouth, but Robin held up his hand. "She's right, K.F.," he said. "We need to get to work." Kid Flash sighed but nodded.

"We should send a message to everyone," Lilith said. "We need to let them know that there are still people fighting for them."

Everyone nodded and Robin set up the link. As Miss Martian and Superboy spoke, Robin whispered behind Lilith, who held the camera, "You're not gonna go up there?"

"I'll be your translator," she responded quietly. Robin nodded, and then he and Kid Flash stepped up the camera. Once they were done, Lilith set to work translating in every langue she knew—which was most of them. As soon as she had sent off the last video message, Robin tapped her shoulder. He beckoned for her to follow.

"Help me prepare two strips of ammo," he said once they reached his destination.

"You don't really think the people were teleported," Lilith guessed. Robin nodded. "I don't either," she said softly.

Robin glanced at her. "About Wally…" he started.

Lilith sighed. "We can't do this now," she said. "We need to get you locked and loaded." She set to work strapping explosives onto two plain belts. Once she was done, she handed them to Robin who strapped them in an X across his chest.

"Let's go," Robin said and he and Lilith ran to the others.

When they reached Smallville, they hopped out and crept closer.

Robin stepped onto a small cliff and pulled out his binoculars. Miss Martian joined him on the ledge. Robin said something and waved his hand in a "so-so" fashion. Miss Martian nodded, and Robin turned to the others. "First team, deploy," he instructed. Miss Martian and Manhunter took to the sky. They faded to camouflage and disappeared from sight.

 _Ready_ , came Miss Martian's voice. _In position._ Superboy turned to Robin, who nodded.

Superboy jumped away and nosily made his way to the guns. He ripped one up, and Robin called, _Careful! Don't disconnect the power source._

Lilith watched as Superboy reached inside the gun. "Alright you glorified trespassers!" she heard him yell. "You wanna see how a real alien fights?!" He pulled the trigger and destroyed several of the mothership's defensive guns. Below him, runways opened up and ships began to fly out. _Now or never_ , he said.

Kid Flash scooped up a reluctant Lilith and Robin hopped onto his back. Kid Flash ran at top speed and jumped off the cliff and landed safely within the mothership. Lilith grunted as she tumbled out of Kid Flash's arms but she rolled to her feet and ran.

Once they reached the main hanger, they ducked between two pillars just as several ships zoomed by. _Way's clear,_ Robin informed. _Go!_

The three ran deeper into the ship and stopped behind a large post just as an alien floated by. Once Robin saw the way was clear, he ran forward with Kid Flash at his heels. They were stopped when they heard a gasp behind them.

Robin whirled around and saw Lilith standing, frozen, wide-eyed, with an alien right behind her. Protruding from the center of her chest was a sharp tip covered in her blood. The alien was suddenly wrenched backward and Lilith stumbled forward and fell to her hands and knees.

 _Lilith!_ Robin yelled and he rushed back to her side. He carefully turned her over so she was on her back and rested her head in his lap. Kid Flash knelt by her and took one of her hands in his, and Miss Martian and Manhunter appeared.

Lilith's chest rose and fell shallowly and her breath came in pants. _I love all of you_ , she thought, glancing around at those gathered around her. _You've been a great family, and—_ She paused as her breath hitched and her eyes squeezed shut and her hand clamped around Kid Flash's. _And it's been an honor to fight alongside you._

 _No,_ Robin thought stubbornly. _You're not going to die_.

A little laugh escaped Lilith's lips. _It's okay, Bird Brain,_ she gasped, staring up at him. _I'm not scared._ She turned to Kid Flash and released his hand. _It looks like you're getting what you've wanted all along,_ she panted.

 _No!_ Kid Flash thought desperately, grabbing her hand again. _I never meant to hurt you! I care about you, Lilith. You're the older sister I never had!_

 _I'm sorry, Wally_ , Lilith whispered. She made to continue, but before she could, her eyes fluttered shut, her hand went limp, and she exhaled for the last time.

* * *

 **Mount Justice  
October 16, 1621 EDT**

Lilith's eyes snapped open. She slowly sat up, wincing as she did. _Did I get stabbed…through the chest?_ she pondered as she swung her legs over the side of the platform. Batman rushed to her side.

"How do you feel?" he asked as Lilith rubbed her chest.

"Like I was stabbed," she grumbled. "What happened?"

Batman was cut off when M'gann suddenly gasped and sat up.

"You're all alive!" M'gann exclaimed.

J'onn was the last to rouse and Batman went to him. "What happened in there?" he asked.

"The exercise," J'onn said slowly, clutching his head. "It all went wrong."

"Exercise?" Robin asked.

"Try to remember," Batman said. "What you experienced was a training exercise. Manhunter psychically linked the seven of you within an artificial reality. You all knew this going in. What you didn't know was that it was a train-for-failure exercise. No matter what the Team accomplished, the scenario was designed to grow worse. Still, you were aware _nothing_ _was real_ , including the deaths of the entire Justice League."

"Which is why you hardly grieved, even when Wolf was disintegrated before your eyes," J'onn explained. "But all that changed when Artemis died.

"Though consciously Miss Martian knew it was not real, her _subconscious_ mind could not make that distinction. She forgot it was only an exercise, and her subconscious took control, making all of _you_ forget, too."

Lilith turned at M'gan. "I-I'm…I'm so sorry," M'gann stuttered, looking around at everyone.

"This isn't her fault!" Conner exclaimed. "Why didn't you stop the exercise?" he demanded.

"We tried," J'onn said patiently. "But M'gann had a death grip on the scenario."

"Great choice of words," Lilith mumbled, pulling her knees to her chest and crossing her arms over her shins.

"Even Artemis," J'onn continued, "who should have awakened upon her death, was so convinced she had passed, she slipped into a coma. I realized I would have to wrest control from Miss Martian's subconscious from within.

"But upon entering the reality, I was overwhelmed by your collective emotion. There was…too much…noise to think clearly…to remember why I was there. The deaths of Aqualad, Superboy, and Lilith helped, but only when the mothership exploded, and Robin and Kid Flash were silenced, did my mind clear enough to remember my true purpose: to shock M'gann out of the exercise, before your comas became permanent.

"My apologies," J'onn said. "I had no idea a training exercise could be so dangerous…so damaging." Lilith turned to M'gann again and found her facing away from the group, her hand covering her eyes. When she glanced at Wally, her hands curled into fists and everything she had felt during the exercise—the hurt, the anger, the sadness, the _emptiness_ —came rushing back. Lilith's eyes widened and she looked around at the rest of the Team, wondering if they felt the same.

The room suddenly became too hot and Lilith unfolded herself. In her rushed and cloudy-minded state, she pitched forward and fell on her hands and knees. She felt a hand on her shoulder but she jumped at the contact and scrambled back.

"Have to go," she panted, looking around frantically. Lilith scrambled to her feet and rushed to the hanger, tripping on her feet before clumsily and ungracefully regaining her balance.

"Lilith!" she heard someone yelled after her but she didn't slow or turn around.

Once she had reached the hanger, she climbed on her bike, kicked up the stand, and revved the engine. She pushed the bike forward and sped off.

When Naomi reached the beach, she clambered off her bike and let it fall to the sand. She yanked off her helmet and let it fall. Then, she ran. She ran until her legs burned and her chest ached, but she pushed herself further.

It wasn't until she finally collapsed that she admitted defeat. She fell to her hands and knees and felt the tears finally come streaming down her cheeks. She yanked off her dark sunglasses and then began to sob.

Naomi was pulled from her thoughts when she felt her phone buzz. She groaned and checked the screen and then frowned when she saw the unknown number.

She quickly wiped her eyes and sniffled before answering. "Hello?" she asked.

"Lilith?" a voice said.

Naomi gasped.

* * *

 **A/N: Cliffie, sorta?**

 **If you have any questions or comments, feel free to let me know! I love hearing what you have to say.**

 **Hope you enjoyed, and until next time.**


	20. Unlikely Acquaintances

**A/N: I own nothing you recognize.**

 **Thank you for all the follows, favorites, and comments. They really make my day.**

* * *

 _Previously:_

 _When Naomi reached the beach, she clambered off her bike and let it fall to the sand. She yanked off her helmet and let it fall. Then, she ran. She ran until her legs burned and her chest ached, but she pushed herself further._

 _It wasn't until she finally collapsed that she admitted defeat. She fell to her hands and knees and felt the tears finally come streaming down her cheeks. She yanked off her dark sunglasses and then began to sob._

 _Naomi was pulled from her thoughts when she felt her phone buzz. She groaned and checked the screen and then frowned when she saw the unknown number._

 _She quickly wiped her eyes and sniffled before answering. "Hello?" she asked._

 _"Lilith?" a voice said._

 **Happy Harbor  
October 16, 1631 EDT**

Naomi gasped. "Roy?" she asked. "How did you get this number?"

"Batman gave it to me when you took off," Roy explained. "By the way, is there something I can call you other than 'Lilith' when we're not on the job?"

"'We?'" Naomi asked. "And why?"

"I mean, when there aren't any baddies to fight," Roy said. "And because Lilith is not a common name."

Naomi sighed. "Uh, call me Lily," she said.

"Is that your real name?" Roy asked.

Naomi scoffed. "Like I'd tell you my real name," she said. She cleared her throat. "Um, what did you want?" she asked.

"Well, Batman gave me a summary of what happened," Roy said. "He said he didn't know what happened in there, but that you ran off."

Naomi growled. "Did you call just to rub it in my face that I ran?" she demanded.

"No, no!" Roy assured. "I called to see if you wanted to go a few rounds with me. I know a gym in Star City that has a boxing ring. Care to join me?"

"Chance to take it out on you?" Naomi said with a small laugh. "Any day. Give me the address and I'll meet you there."

"Sounds good," Roy said. "See you in a few."

Naomi hung up and sprinted back to her bike. She hurried to the Cave, and when she reached the zeta-tubes, she sighed in relief when she saw it was empty. She got a text from Roy telling the nearest zeta to the gym in question and Naomi typed in the coordinates.

When she arrived in Star City, she checked her clothes: yoga pants, tank top, jacket, and her bag that had her uniform, arsenal, wallet, and phone. Once she was satisfied she had everything, she headed to the gym.

When she entered, the young woman at the reception desk said immediately, "Do you have a membership?"

"Um, no, but I'm meeting someone here," she said hesitantly.

"Lily?" Roy called.

Lily smirked when she saw the receptionist blush. "Right here," she called, turning to Roy and following him.

"This is a closed gym, right?" Lily asked as they walked. "Because the moves I'll be using are ones that most sixteen-year-old girls wouldn't know."

Roy laughed. "Don't worry," he said. "I booked it for two hours. Will that be enough time?"

"To kick your butt?" Lily asked, raising an eyebrow. "Oh, that'll be plenty of time."

Roy opened the door and held it open for Lily. She let out a whistle. "Nice," she said. She dropped her bag in a corner and shrugged out of her jacket.

"It's a little too dark in here to use sunglasses, don't you think?" Roy asked, standing in the middle of the ring and stretching.

"If you're sure no one else will enter, I can put on my mask," Lily suggested.

"Be my guest," Roy said with a laugh.

Lily turned and carefully hid her face before slipping on her mask and joining Roy in the ring.

As soon as Lily took her ready stance, Roy attacked. He aimed for her temple and she easily blocked. She went for her own hit at Roy's gut, but he jumped back. Lily ducked down and swung her leg around and managed to knock Roy's feet from under him.

"You weren't even trying," Lily accused with a grin.

"Well, if you think you can take it…" Roy sprang to his feet and dove for her. Lily ducked beneath him and kicked upward, catching him in the gut and sending him sideways into the side of the ring.

"You're in for it now," Roy growled and he rolled out of the way and Lily did a cartwheel over to him. She landed in a crouch and then jumped up as Roy went to knock her feet under her. Lily perched on one of the four posts that made the ring and then launched herself over Roy and landed behind him. She immediately jumped on his back, locking her arm around his neck and her legs around his waist. Roy stumbled back into boundary of the ring. Lily quickly released him and used his shoulders to flip over him. She whirled around just as Roy was lunging at her. She ducked again and let Roy sail over her.

"So what made you run?" Roy asked as Lily helped him up. Lily scowled and promptly released Roy's hand, causing him to flop back on the floor.

"Is that why you invited me here?" she asked with a scowl.

"No!" Roy said quickly. "I really was worried about you when Batman told me."

Lily looked at him skeptically. "Why?" she asked slowly. "I thought you hated me."

"Hate's too strong a word," Roy said. "I just thought it was…strange how you popped up out of nowhere. But I've had time to think it through, and I realized I was acting irrationally."

Lily raised an eyebrow and smirked. "Is that an apology?" she teased.

It was Roy's turn to scowl. "You won't hear me say it again," he grumbled.

"Oh, really?" Lily challenged. Roy got to his feet and the pair faced off.

A minute later, Lily had Roy on his stomach with his arms pinned behind him. "Say it," Lily said with a smirk.

"N-never," Roy grunted. Lily rolled her eyes and leaned further forward. "Ow, ow!" Roy exclaimed. "Okay, okay, you win! I apologize for being rude to you!"

"There," Lily said with a broad smile, leaning back so Roy's arms were free. "That wasn't too hard, now was it?"

"Yeah, yeah," Roy said as Lily stood up and helped him up again.

On and on it went, Lily usually getting the upper hand.

After an hour and a half, Roy called, "Okay, last one."

They traded a few punches before Lily was able to swipe Roy's feet from under him again. Roy got to his feet and lunged at her, managing to catch her around the waist and knock her over. Lily's head snapped against the floor of the ring and she groaned as her vision swam.

"Shit," Roy muttered. "I'm so sorry, Lily," he said, kneeling beside her. He gently felt the back of her head and she hissed when his fingers grazed a tender spot. "Feels like you're gonna have a goose egg by tomorrow."

"Thanks," Lily grumbled, reaching up to feel for herself. She slowly sat up and blinked to clear her vision. Once she could see clearly, she was surprised to see the concern in Roy's eyes. "Um, what time is it?" she asked vaguely, turning away from him.

"Uh, 3:30," Roy responded.

Lily's eyes widened. "Crap! I told, um, Mom, I'd be home by 6 to help her with dinner!"

Roy snorted. "Early dinner," he commented.

"Time difference," Lily reminded him. "But I need to get back." Lily stood, but once she got to her feet, she swayed and saw spots.

"Whoa," Roy said, reaching forward to steady her. "I don't think you could survive Gotham in this condition," he cautioned.

"And I think…" Lily groaned and said, "…that in this case, you might be right." She glanced up at him. "You can walk with me!" she suggested.

"Yeah, alright," Roy said with a shrug. With his help, Lily climbed out of the ring and went to her bag. She grabbed her cell phone and dialed for Lisa.

Lisa picked up immediately. "Naomi!" she said. "Are you alright?"

"I'm okay," Lily reassured. "I'm in Star City with Roy at the moment, and I'm on my way home now. I should be home in a few."

"Okay," Lisa said, and Lily could hear her sigh in relief. "See you soon, hon."

Lily hung up and asked, "You ready?" She turned around and sucked in a breath when she found herself nose to nose with Roy. "Um…"

Roy cleared his throat and straightened up. "Yeah," he said. Lily took a step forward and then winced when she felt her head start to pound. "Here, let me help," Roy said and he grabbed her bag and wrapped an arm around Lily's shoulders.

When they passed the young woman at the reception desk, her eyes widened when she saw Roy with his arm around Lily.

"Thanks, Jennifer," Roy said with a casual wave over his shoulder.

"N-no problem, R-Roy," Jennifer stuttered with a small smile and blush. Lily rolled her eyes behind her dark sunglasses.

Once they stepped outside, Roy's phone started to ring.

"Ah, sorry," he apologized. "Hello?" he asked. "Shit…Uh-huh…Right…Yeah, I'll be right there." Roy glanced at Lily and she raised her eyebrows. "I forgot I'm supposed to be at Ol-Green Arrow's charity event."

"That's fine," Lily said. "I can make it…" She had started to pull away from Roy but had stumbled again.

"No," Roy said immediately, putting his arm around her again. "I'm sure Green Arrow wouldn't mind if you stayed at his place until the event is over."

"I know who Green Arrow is," Lily said. "Either we both go, or we don't go."

Roy faltered but huffed. "Fine," he said. "I'm sure I could convince a store to stay open another hour for you to find something."

"Hour?" Lily scoffed. "It'll take me ten minutes."

"We'll see," Roy said with a smirk. "Let's go."

"Okay," Lily said and she pulled out her phone and called Lisa.

"Something's come up," Lily said immediately, and then quickly added, "But nothing bad! I hit my head and I'm unsteady on my feet. Roy is with me, but he has to be at an event. I'll have to stay with him until it's all over, and I'll make sure to tell you when I'm on my way home."

Lisa laughed. "Take a breath, dear," she said. "I understand completely, and I will await your call. Love you, and stay safe."

Lily smile. "Love you too," she said and then hung up.

Roy had stopped, and Lily looked up to see them at a swanky little boutique. Her eyes widened. "This is far too expensive," she said.

"Don't worry," Roy said with a laugh. "We can charge this to Ollie."

Lily bit her lip but nodded and Roy held the door open for her. She stepped inside and while she looked around for a dress suitable for the grand event, she saw Roy go talk to the owner.

True to her word, it took Lily nine minutes and fifty-six seconds to find the dress she liked. But true to his word, Roy informed Lily that for an express tailoring, it take about an hour.

As the pair exited the shop to wait for the dress to be finished, Roy said, "So how do you do it so quickly?"

"Do what?" Lily asked as she followed Roy around a corner and into a pizzeria.

"Do what most women take a life time to do," Roy said as they were led to a table.

"Something I was trained to do," Lily responded with a casual shrug.

"Why would Batman train you to do that?" Roy asked.

"Batman didn't train me," Lily said, fiddling with the straw in her glass.

Roy immediately sat up. "Who did?" he demanded, sounding cautious.

Lily rolled her eyes. "No need to get your dander up," she sighed. "I came to Batman with no strings attached."

Roy nodded but didn't seem to completely buy her explanation. They sat in an uncomfortable silence for most of their meal, and Roy paid for the meal before standing. Once they were outside, Lily sighed.

"Roy, I know you were with Kaldur when Sportsmaster hinted at a mole," she said. "You can't honestly suspect me now."

Roy sighed. "I don't know," he said, though Lily was unsure if he was being truthful. "I just find it hard to believe Batman would really keep you a secret for so long unless he had a good reason."

"He did," Lily insisted. "He knew that for a while there were people searching for me. By keeping me a secret, it gave them time to forget and me time to get comfortable with my new life."

"I'm not doubting Batman," Roy said quickly.

"Yes, you are," Lily said, her face falling slightly.

Roy raised an eyebrow. "Are you going to tell me what happened back at the Cave?" he asked.

For a long time Lily didn't say anything. Just when Roy was sure she wouldn't say anything period, she suddenly blurted out, "Wally wished I had died."

"What?" Roy asked, stopping Lily short of the dress shop.

"It was a training exercise," Lily mumbled. "It was a train-to-fail kinda thing. It was fine until Artemis died. M'gann thought it was real and convinced the rest of us it was real too. I was with Artemis when she died, and then when Kaldur died, and Wally blamed me for not dying in their place."

"I'm sure he didn't mean—" Roy started, but Lily cut him off.

"I know, I know," she said. "But I know from experience what tragic events do to a psyche. Humans tend to say what's on their mind. And Wally was thinking that at the time."

"Are you going to hold that over his head forever?" Roy asked.

Lily sighed. "I don't know," she said. "Probably not."

"There's more to this story, isn't there," Roy said.

"Yes," Lily said plainly. "But I'm not telling you."

"Just when I thought we were getting along," Roy grumbled as Lily walked into the shop.

Roy followed her in just as the shop owner asked, "Would you like to try it on, dear?"

"If you wouldn't mind," Roy heard Lily respond with a sheepish smile.

"Of course," the woman said with a grin. "Follow me."

The two disappeared behind a screen, and when Lily reappeared a minute later, Roy let out an impressed whistle.

The dress was a simple halter-style that was floor length and a deep purple. Being only sixteen, it was appropriate for her while still being classy and attractive.

Lily did a little twirl and the bottom of the skirt flared out slightly. "As great as that dress is," Roy started, and Lily paused to raise an eyebrow at him. "It would be better if you weren't wearing you sunglasses," he finished in a whisper.

Lily bit her lip. "Is this by any chance a masquerade?" she asked hopefully.

Roy seemed to ponder it. "I'm sure there's still time for Ollie to change it," he said finally. Lily beamed and Roy found himself smiling back. He pulled out his phone and after a quick phone call, he nodded.

"Great!" Lily exclaimed before hurrying to the back of the shop. When she returned, her sunglasses were replaced by a silk mask of the same color as the dress which revealed deep brown eyes.

"Uh…it's another hour or so until the event starts," Roy said, rubbing the back of his neck. "Anything you want to do?"

Lily smirked. "Are the criminals as stupid here as they are in Gotham City?" she asked.

Roy laughed. "Yes, they are," he said.

"Good enough for me."

* * *

 **Star City  
October 16, 1907 PDT**

"We need to go," Red Arrow said to Lilith as they watched the police arrive to arrest the robbers.

Lilith pouted. "But this is so much more fun," she insisted.

"Green Arrow's going to kill me if we don't show," Red Arrow reminded.

Lilith raised an eyebrow. "So, you'll let me go crime-stopping, but not home?"

Red Arrow cleared his throat. "Well, you seemed fine when we started, and I already told Green Arrow you would be attending."

"Re-eally," Lilith drawled.

"Let's just go," Red Arrow grumbled. Lilith laughed and followed Red Arrow off the rooftop.

Thirty minutes later, Roy was escorting Lily into the ballroom.

"I can't believe I let you talk me into this," Lily muttered through a smile.

"You liked playing dress up," Roy whispered.

"I didn't think you'd actually make me attend this thing," Lily said.

"Roy!" a voice called and Lily turned to see one of Oliver Queen's business partners. "Who is this?" he asked.

"Lily Harrison," Lily said smoothly, giving the man a smile and offering him a hand to shake. "I'm a friend of Roy's."

"How nice," the man said. "I'm Jason Harmon, a business associate of Oliver Queen."

"Let's dance!" Roy suddenly exclaimed, grabbing Lily's hand and dragging her to the middle of the dancefloor.

"I take it you're not a fan of hob-knobbing," Lily asked with a raised eyebrow.

Roy groaned. "I can't stand it," he muttered. "Too much schmoozing."

Lily laughed as Roy twirled her around. "You just need to learn the art of schmoozing," she said.

"You can do that?" Roy asked, raising an eyebrow.

Lily scoffed. "Please," she said. "Just one of my many talents."

"Where did you learn to dance?" Roy asked. "Just one of my many talents," he quoted with Lily. She gasped in mock horror and slapped his arm while rolling her eyes.

"So where did _you_ learn to dance?" Lily asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Uh, it was something Dinah insisted on," Roy mumbled, almost inaudibly.

Lily threw her head back with a laugh. "That is too adorable," she said through her giggles.

"Yeah, yeah," Roy grumbled. "Get over it."

"Not gonna happen, Pretty Boy," Lily smirked.

"You think I'm pretty?" Roy asked.

"Yeah," Lily said innocently and Roy raised his eyebrows in surprise. "Pretty funny lookin'," she finished with a grin.

"Ha, ha," Roy deadpanned.

Lily gave a small laugh and said, "You are very attractive, Roy," she said with an honest smile.

The rest of the evening passed surprisingly well. "When can I go home?" Lily asked after several hours of standing around, eating tiny finger food, and standing around some more.

"I talked to Oliver," Roy said and Lily rolled her eyes. "He wants you to stay the night. He thinks you zeta-ing without getting a proper check-up would scramble your brains more."

"Fi-ine," Lily groaned. "Can we at least go to Oliver's place?" she asked.

"Yeah, okay," Roy shrugged.

"Lead the way," Lily said, taking a small step back and sweeping her arm in front of her. Roy rolled his eyes and Lily laughed before following him out of the hotel ballroom.

A short taxi ride later, Lily couldn't help but stare open-mouthed at the Queen Manor. It almost rivaled Bruce's. Almost.

"Here's a room with an attached bathroom," Roy offered, pushing open a door and letting it fall open so Lily could see inside.

"That's fine," she said with a shrug. "Thanks."

"I'm right down the hall if you need anything," he added, pointing to a closed door a little ways down the long hall.

Lily nodded. "Night, Roy," she said.

"Good night, Lily," he responded, and he turned and disappeared into his room.

Lily turned to the room and studied it. It was pretty basic with minimal decorations. The bathroom was similar in that fact, and she immediately turned on the water for a shower. After checking she had something to sleep in, Lily stepped under the warm water and let it wash away the bad day…well, morning. She had been pleasantly surprised by her good day with Roy.

She shut off the water and wrapped a large towel around her shoulders. She quickly dried herself off and changed into a large T-shirt she had found in the closet. Lily headed to the large bed and climbed in, quickly sinking into the mattress and drifting off to sleep.

Several hours later, she was awakened by her nightmares. This time, it was of a particularly unpleasant exercise in which she had to watch one of the girls kill another because the second had failed in hand-to-hand combat.

Shivering, Lily climbed out of bed and slipped on her mask before heading out the door and creeping along the hallway. Knowing this was the house of Green and Red Arrow, she figured there would be a training room, and more importantly, targets.

The secret gym was easily revealed to Lily and she found what she was looking for. She pulled out a gun and fiddled with the controls and soon, moving targets were weaving their way around the gym. Lily moved between the targets and reached the center. She closed her eyes, counted to three, and when she opened them again, began hitting the targets, by gun and by hand.

Half way through her fourth round, the targets stopped moving. Lily glanced up, startled, and sighed in relief when she saw it was only Roy.

"What are you doing up so late?" Roy asked through a yawn as Lily approached him at the controls and made the targets recede.

"Couldn't sleep," Lily responded simply, setting her gun on the ground and walking up to the bows and quivers, filled with arrows. She slowly ran her hand along each bow before lifting a sleek black longbow. Roy lifted an eyebrow but raised three stationary targets as Lily grabbed a quiver and set it on the floor beside her. Lily tested the bow a few times before finally taking an arrow. She took a deep breath as she drew back her arm and then she released.

"I will say, I'm impressed," Roy admitted as the arrow hit the target.

"I'm not," Lily mumbled, frowning. "It's been ages since I've touched a bow, much less used one."

"Why the longbow?" Roy asked, stepping forward as Lily strung another arrow. This one hit closer to the center. "Wouldn't a composite be easier?"

Lily cocked her head and furrowed her eyebrows, looking confused. "We were never given the 'easy' option," she said contemplatively. "So I've never used a composite."

"Were you any good with a longbow?" he asked as Lily pulled another arrow from the quiver. This time, it hit the center.

Lily threw a smirk over her shoulder. "That give you your answer?"

"Not bad," Roy admitted with a small laugh. "But let's get you a composite."

"Why?" Lily asked.

"Because if you can shoot like that with a longbow after not picking up a bow in years, think of how much power you'll have with a composite," Roy explained.

"Okay," Lily said with a shrug. "I'm open for trying new things."

Roy went back to the bow rack and selected a composite bow. He passed it to Lily, who frowned as she tested the tension.

"What's wrong?" Roy asked worriedly.

"It seems so easy," Lily said, sounding astonished.

Roy laughed. "Just give it a try," he said.

Lily shrugged again and grabbed an arrow. When she released the arrow, it hit the target so hard it punched a hole through it.

"Like it?" Roy asked as a smile fought its way to Lily's lips.

"You bet," she breathed. For the next hour, Roy simply watched on as Lily went through the arrows. By two in the morning, Lily was finally slowing down. She let out a wide yawn and Roy chuckled.

"You should get to bed," he suggested, reaching forward to pluck the bow and arrow from Lily's hand.

"Hey!" she protested, turning to snatch them back but Roy simply held them above his head. "That's not fair," Lily grumbled, not even bothering to try to take them back; he was taller than her, and he knew it.

"Come on," he said, turning away and placing them back in their right spot. Lily huffed but followed him out of the gym. "How did you find this?" Roy asked as the wall slid back in place.

Lily snorted. "It wasn't that difficult," she said.

When they reached Lily's room, she gave Roy a small smile. "Thanks," she said. "I had fun."

"Help you get your mind off your…troubles?" he asked.

"Gee, thanks," Lily said sarcastically. "I had _almost_ forgotten!"

Roy winced. "Right…sorry," he mumbled.

"It's okay," Lily assured.

Roy managed a small smile. "Good night…again."

"Good night," Lily said with a laugh.

She entered the room and climbed into bed before finally slipping into a dreamless sleep.

* * *

 **Gotham City  
October 17, 1035 EDT**

Naomi walked through the front door and found David, Lisa, and James nervously sitting at the dining room table. She sighed and rolled her eyes, but a smile made its way to her lips.

"You guys…" she started but was cut off when Lisa jumped to her feet and rushed over to her, David and James right behind her.

"Bruce told us what happened," Lisa gasped, hugging Naomi tightly. "Well, not everything," she admitted, pulling away so David could wrap his arm around her and kiss the top of her head. "Just that you ran out and that you looked crushed."

Naomi's lips quivered as the events of the previous day came rushing back and tears finally started to pool in her eyes. "It was awful," she whispered. "It felt like everyone agreed with Wally, that they wished I had died instead of M'gann or Kaldur. My second family…they don't want me!"

"Oh, sweetie!" Lisa gasped as Naomi started to sob. "We love you very much, and I'm sure the Team loves you too," she said, holding Naomi close and stroking her hair. David and James wrapped their arms around the two women, pouring their love to Naomi.

"You know, Bruce has called several times, each time with a message from the Team," David informed. "They're all worried about you."

Naomi sniffled and pulled away slightly so she could wipe the tears from her cheeks. "I don't want to hear about it now," she said softly. "I just feel like staying in bed." She gave them a weak smile before pulling away completely and walking slowly up the stairs.

Once she had changed into her comfiest pajamas, Naomi curled up in her bed and pulled out her laptop. She heard a knock on her door and said, "Come in."

James entered, a mug of hot tea in one hand and a stack of Naomi's favorite movies in the other. Naomi's eyes brightened and James set the mug on her bedside table as Naomi moved over so James could join her.

"Which movie do you want to watch first?" he asked.

"That one," Naomi said, pointing to one of the stack. James groaned but acquiesced. Naomi beamed and settled in, resting her head on his shoulder. James glanced down and smiled and wrapped his arm around her shoulder. "Thank you," Naomi murmured.

"Always, kiddo," James responded, kissing Naomi's head and tightening his arm around her.

* * *

 **A/N: Hope you enjoyed.**

 **Fun Fact: this chapter took me the longest to write. I knew the major things I wanted to happen between Lilith and Roy, but it was the little filler scenes that took forever.**

 **If you have questions or comments, feel free to leave them!**

 **Until next time.**


	21. Meeting

**A/N: I own nothing you recognize.**

 **I know! Another update! It's the Tuesday before my Thanksgiving break, so I've decided to post a new chapter. And who knows, I might do a daily thing until Sunday.**

 **News! I finished writing _Demons_ and have officially started the sequel, which I am actually quite excited about. I'm not sure how long that one will be, but just so you know, you can expect a total of 32 chapter for this story.**

 **RavenDeathGirl0909: Lol yeah, Roy definitely grew on me while I wrote this. Let me know in later chapters if you still see them together!**

 **Guest (chapter 20): Well, a relationship of some sort is definitely happening, though if it's the romantic kind, most likely not, as I've already made plans ahead for Kaldur/Lilith. But I hope you continue to enjoy!**

 **Big Dragon Rebel Girl (chapter 14): Thank you for your suggestion, but if you've read this, you'll know that I won't be shipping Lilith and Robin together. But I think they have a good sibling relationship starting, so I wouldn't want to see that go away!**

 **Anime hotty lover. 18: Yeah, that episode wasn't one of my favorites, but thank you for your kind words!**

 **WARNING: Content could possibly TRIGGER in the form of DEPRESSION.**

* * *

 **Gotham City  
October 23, 1700 EDT**

Naomi's phone buzzed and she reached for it without checking the caller I.D. "Hello?" she said.

"Naomi, you need to meet at the Cave."

Naomi sighed and immediately she felt her face fall. "Bruce," she whispered. "I-I can't face them," she said.

"Why not?" Bruce asked, his voice softening.

"I'm scared of what they think of me," Naomi said softly, biting her lip and staring at her hand.

On the other side of the line, Bruce sighed. "Black Canary wants to talk to all of you," he said. "Individually," he added.

"There's no one that can help me, Bruce," Naomi said. "You know that."

"I'm not suggesting you tell her everything," Bruce said. "But maybe it'll help to get the immediate events off your chest."

"If I said no, would you just come to get me yourself?" Naomi asked.

"Probably," Bruce answered honestly.

Naomi sighed again. "Alright," she said. "I'll be there."

"Thank you," Bruce said softly. "Love you, kiddo."

"Love you too, Bruce," Naomi said before hanging up. She stared at her phone for a moment before heaving herself to her feet and grabbing her sunglasses. "I'm going to work," she called out and walked out of the house.

When she reached the Cave, Red Tornado was waiting in the transportation room. "Everyone is in the kitchen," he informed.

"Thanks, Red," Lilith said with a small smile. She walked past him and made her way to the kitchen.

When she reached it, everyone's gaze snapped up to her.

"We were starting to worry about you," Kaldur said.

"Batman asked us to respect your privacy," M'gann added quietly from her spot in the kitchen.

Lilith nodded. "Well, thank you for that," she said.

They remained silent and Lilith went to one end of the long sofa. She sat with her back to one of the arm and she pulled her knees to her chest.

For what felt like centuries, nobody talked. Lilith was leaning her side completely against the back of the sofa, her eyes going in and out of focus as her gaze slowly made its way around the room. Finally, Black Canary appeared.

"Conner," she said softly. "You're up."

Lilith watched stoically as Conner scowled and stood. After only a minute or so, Black Canary reappeared, though without Conner.

Slowly, everyone had their turn with Black Canary. Finally, it was Lilith's turn.

For a long time, neither spoke. Eventually, Black Canary said, "Lilith, I can tell something is weighing on your mind."

Lilith couldn't help but scoff. "Something is always on my mind," she mumbled.

"Why is that?" Black Canary asked.

"With my history, that's not surprising," Lilith said with a humorless laugh.

"You've mentioned your past before," Black Canary noted. "What happened?" she asked.

Lilith's lips twitched and she shook her head frantically, pulling her knees to her chest and hunching in on herself.

"Hey, hey," Black Canary said gently, sitting at the edge of her chair to reach out and place a hand on Lilith's foot. "I'm not going to ask you to tell me," she said. "There's obviously a lot of pain there." Lilith nodded. "Would you like to start with what happened in the exercise?" Black Canary prompted.

"Wally said he wished it was me that I had died instead of Kaldur or Artemis," Lilith finally mumbled, resting her chin on her knees and staring at shoes.

"What did you feel after that?" Black Canary asked.

"Hurt," Lilith said quietly. "Sad. Angry. Empty."

"Why empty?" Black Canary focused.

"Because I thought I had finally made some friends that I could be a hero with," Lilith said. "And then I discover they don't even want me."

"Lilith, I can't convince you that's not true," Black Canary said softly.

"But that's my problem," Lilith said. "I do realize it's not true."

Black Canary's eyebrows pinched together in confusion. "Then why do you let it affect you so?" she asked curiously.

Lilith gave a small, bitter laugh. "Because my mind is an awful place," she said. "It's overactive, and always exaggerates the truth."

"And you think that's a bad thing?" Black Canary questioned.

"I _know_ it is," Lilith said firmly.

"How?" Black Canary asked.

"Because for ten years, I trained myself to not feel, to not let the actions in the Academy affect me, in any way," Lilith explained. "I saw what it did to the girls who didn't do that. It _destroyed_ them. And then they were destroyed."

"And you didn't want to admit defeat?" Black Canary inquired.

"I didn't want to _die_ ," Lilith exclaimed. "Because that's what happened if you didn't meet their expectations or requirements. You were eliminated."

"Lilith, I will be completely honest with you," Black Canary said, sounding uneasy. "I am _very_ disturbed by what you're telling me. And I get the feeling that you're only telling me a tiny fraction of what went on there."

"You don't want to know," Lilith said monotonously, looking as though all emotion had left her.

Black Canary sighed. "We can pick this up next time," she said.

Lilith nodded and stood. She exited the room and wandered around the Cave before she found herself in the hanger. After a moment's hesitation, she made her way to her bike and climbed on. She started the engine and called, "Red Tornado, hanger door."

The door slid open without protest and Lilith sped off.

A minute later, she heard Batman's voice in her ear. "Lilith…" he started.

"Save it, Bruce," Lilith sighed. "I'll be back later." She took out the earpiece and put it in her jacket pocket and continued her way to Happy Harbor.

* * *

When Lilith reached the shore, she parked her bike and pulled off her helmet. She allowed her dark hair to fall down her back and behind her, she heard someone whistle. She whipped around and saw a boy her age with light brown hair and blue eyes.

"Um, hello," she said hesitantly, climbing off.

"Impressive ride," the boy said. "I'm Alexander Harper, by the way. Well, Alex."

"Uh, Ana Lindon."

"So where do you live?" Alex asked. "I don't think I've seen you around here."

"I go to school in Gotham," Ana said, setting her helmet on her bike.

"What are you doing up here?" he asked with a laugh.

"I'm, uh…spending some time with…friends," Ana said. Get a grip! she mentally scolded herself. It's just a boy!

"Alright," Alex said with a smile. Hm, he's an easy one. "I had to get out of the house; too much family drama. Wanna walk around with me?"

"Sure," Ana said with a small smile. "Why not?"

"Awesome." Alex's smile widened and he made his way down the beach.

* * *

"…and just like that, it was over!" Alex exclaimed. Ana laughed at his excitability and glanced at her watch.

"Crap," she muttered, scrambling to her feet and picking up her jacket. "I need to be heading back."

"Hey!" Alex called after her as she started to walk back the way they came. "Will I see you anytime soon?"

"I don't know," Ana called back honestly. "Maybe!"

"Hope I do, beautiful." Ana blushed and ducked her head before turning again and sprinting down the sand.

When she reached her bike, she threw a leg over and put her sunglasses on before putting on her helmet and speeding away.

"You're back late," Batman said when she walked through the transporter room, her hair back in its bun.

"Look, I'm sorry I left earlier…" Lilith started.

"Apology accepted," Batman said. "How are you feeling?"

Lilith sighed. "I don't know," she responded honestly.

"How did talking to Black Canary go?" Batman asked.

"Fine," Lilith said with a shrug.

"We will continue doing this," Batman reminded her.

"I can do this myself," Lilith insisted.

"No, you need to talk," Batman said firmly. "I think Black Canary would be a good outlet for you. But eventually, you should talk to your team."

Lilith scoffed. " _My_ team?" she said. "Most teams would mourn the loss of their teammates. But apparently people around here just don't give a damn."

"Lilith, you know that's not true," Batman said.

"How do I?" Lilith yelled. "When Artemis and Kaldur died, Wally told me he wished it was me instead." She took a shaky breath. "I've lived through the abandonment of my peers once," she whispered. "And I lived because I didn't care about them, at least not in the same way. But I don't think I could make it if I learned my family didn't even want me."

Batman stepped forward and wrapped his arms around Lilith. She let herself sink into his embrace before he pulled away and gave her a small smile. "You'll make it," he said, sounding more like Bruce than Batman. "I know it, because you're a survivor. You're like me." Lilith nodded and Batman took a step back to gaze at his first ward. He kissed the top of her head and she gave him a small smile before he turned and walked toward the zeta-tube.

"Recognized: Batman, 0-2."

Lilith sighed and blinked hard to clear her misty vision. She took a deep breath and turned around. She stopped short when she saw someone standing at the doorway.

"How much of that did you hear?" Lilith asked Robin softly.

"All of it," he said.

Lilith sighed and her shoulders slumped. She closed her eyes briefly before straightening her shoulders and saying, "I'd really appreciate it if you didn't tell anyone."

"Of course," Robin said immediately. Lilith just nodded and moved to walk around him. Robin's arms shot out and he pulled Lilith to his chest.

"Wh-what is this for?" she asked, though she put her arms around Robin.

"Simple," he said quietly. "I care."

* * *

 **A/N: I know, short chapter. I will be honest, I am not entirely satisfied with this chapter. It's mostly filler, but I thought it might be important to show Lilith at least attempting to open up to someone, even if it doesn't really quite work out.**

 **As for the random human...I'm not sure how I feel about him. He just sorta came to me, and I couldn't make myself write him out.**

 **Anyway, hope it was satisfactory, and if not, well...I have until Sunday to make it up xD**


	22. Realizations

**A/N: I own nothing you recognize.**

 **Thank you to everyone who has followed, favorited, and commented. It brings a smile to my face every time I see that number go up.**

 **MellissaNoir: Thanks! I'm glad you enjoyed it.**

 **Anime hotty lover. 18: Ooh, maybe I should put a little warning at the beginning? I honestly didn't stop to think about it since I was kinda taking from personal experience, and I guess I'm kinda numb to that now. But I'm glad you still enjoyed the chapter!**

 **RavenDeathGirl0909: Lol I hadn't even thought about that. But since it kinda came out of the blue, I wasn't planning on having Alex return.**

 **Guest (chapter 21): I will indeed! I have the first few chapters of the sequel typed and everything, and I can't wait to get to share them with you guys!**

* * *

 **Mount Justice  
October 31, 1934 EDT**

"Ow-ow-owwwww!"

Lilith leaned against one of the entrances to the training room and watched as Wally, dressed as a werewolf, tried in vain to get Wolf to join in.

"Really?" he asked, looking at the animal in question with an incredulous look. "You're not gonna join in at all?" When Wolf continued to snooze, Wally said, "What kind of wolf are you?"

"Wally," Conner sighed. "Stop torturing him."

Lilith laughed and approached, sitting on the floor by Wolf's head. "You don't want an angry wolf at your throat," she said, glancing up at Wally with a raised eyebrow.

"Hold still, please," M'gann requested as she wrapped gauze around Conner's head.

"Megan, stop torturing him," Wally stepped in, standing between M'gann and Conner. "Awkward for him anyway," he continued in a lowered tone and putting an arm on the taller Martian, "being a third wheel on our date." Lilith bit her lip to keep from laughing out loud as she stood.

"Wally, I invited the _entire_ Team to the dance," M'gann sighed, sounding like she was getting slightly annoyed with Wally's flirting. "Zatanna too," she added.

"Good," Wally said in the same quiet voice. "Keeps us on the down-low." Lilith saw M'gann's lip pull upward in a way that said _oh-Wally-you-still-don't-know_. "So," he continued. "You going as my favorite Martian?" he asked.

"Not exactly," M'gann said and she stepped away and stood in front of the three of them. Her purple outfit morphed into a tattered off-white dress. Her skin turned chalk-white, and torn gloves and a dirty veil appeared on her head. She tried out a zombie-like growl and then put her hands on her hips.

"Whoa," Wally said. "Babe, eat my brains anytime."

"Ew," Lilith said, wrinkling her nose and looking at Wally.

"Great minds think alike." Lilith turned and saw Captain Marvel approach them.

"Captain," Lilith said, sounding slightly surprised.

"You look terrific," M'gann said. Lilith raised her eyes at that but didn't comment. Captain Marvel looked the same except his face was painted white and his eyes were done in dark makeup. Captain Marvel beamed. "Are you going to a Halloween celebration too?" M'gann asked.

Captain Marvel's smile fell and he looked at M'gann in confusion. "Well, sure, "he said uncertainly. "I'm going with…Uh, I-I mean, you did invite the _whole_ Team, right?"

Lilith's eyes widened at what he was implying, and while she fought the urge to giggle, something also nagged the back of her mind.

"Yeah," M'gann said brightly, completely missing his meaning. "We'll all be at the dance," she said. "So don't worry about us," she said considerately. "Go. Have a good time at your party."

"Recognized: Artemis, B-0-8. Zatanna Zatara, A-0-3."

The two girls materialized, Zatanna dressed as a witch and Artemis like a vampire.

"Oh, hey, Zatanna," Artemis greeted. "You look great."

"Oh, thanks," Zatanna said with a smile. "You too. Oh, look," she said as they stopped in front of Captain Marvel. "Zombie Captain Marvel. That's hilarious," she said graciously. "Is the Justice League having a party?" she asked. "'Cause my dad didn't mention it."

Captain Marvel's eyes widened and he looked desperately around at the Team. "No, no, no, no, see, I…" He scratched his head and finally huffed, "Fine. I'm going trick-or-treating." He flew over Zatanna and Artemis and went to the tubes.

"Recognized: Captain Marvel, 1-5."

"And I'm _not_ sharing my candy," he declared, crossing his arms.

"Did he seem a bit…overworked?" Lilith asked with a raised eyebrow as she approached the two girls. Behind her, she heard M'gann giggle.

"Maybe," Artemis said with a shrug. "Just seems like who he is, ya know?" Lilith seemed to accept that answer and nodded.

"So-o," Zatanna drawled. "How long have Conner and Megan been a couple?"

Artemis laughed. "Couple? No," she admonished. "They're not a…" She trailed off as she turned to the two in question and watched as M'gann continued to giggle over Conner's squirminess.

"Will you please stop fidgeting?" she asked as she held his hand out in front of him.

"You are _so_ making this up to me later," Conner said, managing a small laugh of his own.

Lilith glanced back at Artemis in time to see her glare before she turned around and marched away. She and Zatanna hurried after her.

"Uh," Zatanna sighed. "I-I'm sorry," she said as she and Lilith caught up with her. "It just seemed so obvious. I-I-I didn't realize…Wait, the dance," she said desperately.

"Not in the mood," Artemis said, turning away and crossing her arms. "Of course, sitting at home with my mom doesn't sound any more appealing…"

"Well, there is another option," Zatanna said, raising an eyebrow. " _Egnahc sehtolc otni ruo smrofinu_." She and Artemis disappeared into a cloud of silver-grey, and when it disappeared, both of them were standing in their uniforms. "Girls' night out," Zatanna suggested. She turned to Lilith. "Since you weren't in a costume, I assume you weren't going to the party anyway?"

"Nah," Lilith said with a smile. "Party scene…not really my thing."

"Well, we're not looking for a party," Zatanna said with a smirk.

Lilith laughed. "True," she said. "But I'm afraid Batman needs me. Knock a guy out for me, will ya?" she called over her shoulder.

"It'll be my pleasure!" Artemis called after her.

Lilith headed to the room she figured Batman would use. Once she arrived, Batman said, "Computer, secure the room."

"Secured," the computer informed.

"Red Arrow," Lilith said in surprise when she spotted the archer.

"Lilith," Red Arrow said with a smile. "Good to see you again."

"You too," Lilith said slowly. "What are you doing here?" she asked

"I invited him," Batman said. "Now I'll cut to it," he commenced, looking around. "Do we believe there's a mole within this Team?"

"I am convinced there is none," Aqualad said immediately, stepping forward. Lilith bit her lip. "When Sportsmaster claimed he had an inside source, he was merely sowing dissent."

"His intel could easily have come by comparing notes with the other villains working for the 'Injustice League,'" Robin added easily. "And think about it," he said with a small laugh, crossing his leg and leaning back in his chair and putting his arms behind his head. "If _anyone_ on the Team _was_ working with those creepoids—"

"He or she would have betrayed us during our fight against them," Aqualad concluded.

"I'm not convinced," Red Arrow said as Lilith opened her mouth. She closed it and looked at him. "Sure, all of you are above suspicion," he said, "but I _know_ Artemis isn't shooting straight. For starters, she's _not_ Green Arrow's niece."

"What?" Aqualad gasped.

"Well, yeah," Robin piped up. He leaned forward in his chair. "In fact, she's related to—"

Lilith quickly hit the back of his head as Batman said, "Enough.'

"Ow," Robin grumbled, turning to look at Lilith and rubbing his head.

"Artemis's relations may indeed make her suspect, but she's still entitled to a secret identity," Batman spoke. "I'm more concerned about Superboy." Lilith glanced at Batman. "We still know very little about what Cadmus programmed into their weapon. Conner could be the mole and not know it." The gears in Lilith's head began turning and she narrowed her eyes and chewed her lip. She glanced up and saw Red Tornado had glanced down, and she was sure that if his face could move, he would look ashamed.

"And what about Miss Martian?" Red Arrow pressed. "She _is_ Manhunter's niece. But he told Black Canary he has a few _hundred_ nieces and nephews. And the first time he met M'gann was five months ago, when she _stowed away_ on his last trip from Marts to Earth."

"This changes nothing," Aqualad said firmly, crossing his arms. "I have fought side by side with these people. _None_ are traitors."

Red Arrow looked like he was going to argue, but Batman said, "So we're agreed." Everyone nodded and then started to leave the room. Lilith was stopped when she heard Batman say, "Lilith."

"Yes?" she asked.

"I'd like to talk to you for a moment." Lilith pursed her lips but nodded. "I know your 'thinking face,'" Batman said. "And I'm sure you've been thinking about this since Kaldur told you." Lilith nodded. "So there's something that's been on your mind." Lilith bit her lip and glanced at him, unsure of what to say.

Lilith took a deep breath and finally told him what she had been thinking.

Batman was silent, considering her words. "You've seemed to be right about most things so far," he said. "You have a knack for trusting your gut feeling. But I thought…"

"Yeah, I know," Lilith said. "But something still feels…off."

Batman nodded. "I will consider what you have told me."

"And it'll stay between us?" Lilith asked.

"Yes," Batman said. Lilith turned to leave when Batman stopped her again. "Do you know Artemis's parentage?"

Lilith nodded. "I looked her up when she first came," she said. "I've looked up everyone out of curiosity." She paused. "And it makes me even more grateful that my own identity is unknown."

When Lilith stepped out of the room, she found Kaldur hanging around.

"Kaldur," she said, sounding surprised. "I would have thought you would be on your way to some Halloween celebration."

Kaldur shrugged. "I have never understood the tradition of this holiday," he said.

Lilith laughed. "I get that," she said. "So, what are you doing still here?"

"I was wondering if you had plans," Kaldur said.

"Oh, uh, yeah," she stammered. "Yeah, I told some of my school friends I'd go out with them tonight."

Kaldur nodded in understanding. "Right. Of course." He offered her a small smile. "Well, I will see you later."

Lilith nodded and hurried away. As she zetaed away, she sighed and rubbed her temples.

As she walked down the dark streets of Gotham, Naomi pulled her jacket closer to her body and thought.

Ever since Kaldur had kissed her cheek weeks before, Naomi had, truthfully, been doing her best to avoid him. For the longest time, she had done her best to keep her emotional distance. It was how she had been raised, and for some reason it had been so much easier at the Academy. But once she started school, and then again when she got put with the Scotts, Naomi discovered how difficult it was to keep that distance in such a relaxed environment.

And for a while, Naomi had let it be.

But then Kaldur had to go and show…something beyond teammate friendship for her. It had caught her off guard and made her unsure how to act around him.

And the part that scared her the most?

 _She was starting to like him too._

* * *

 **A/N: So she's admitted it!**

 **Again, this was kinda a filler chapter that I'm not entirely satisfied with, but after staring at it for ages, I decided to just forge ahead.**

 **Hope you enjoyed, and I anticipate coming back tomorrow!**


	23. Misplaced

**A/N: I own nothing you recognize.**

 **I am thankful for all the comments, follows, and favorites I've gotten on this story. It really does make me smile every time.**

* * *

 **Mount Justice  
November 5, 1947 EDT**

Lilith watched as Conner and M'gann exited the Bioship, Conner with a wooden crate and M'gann levitating cardboard boxes.

"Did you get everything?" Batman asked from beside Lilith.

"Everything on your list, Batman," M'gann said. "Plus groceries."

She lowered the boxes and Wally rushed over. "Cookie fixins?" he asked.

"Snickerdoodles," M'gann replied with a smile.

"Babe, you rock my world," Wally sighed. Lilith rolled her eyes, and when she caught M'gann's gaze, they giggled.

Behind them, the elevator door opened and Lilith heard Artemis say, "Glad you're back, Zatanna. Does this mean you're officially joining the Team?" she asked.

"I don't know," Zatanna said, crossing her arms. "Zatara's _so_ overprotective. I mean, just getting him to let me visit takes a full day's wheedling." Lilith glanced at the man in question and saw him levitating several of the boxes, with Red Tornado lifting one with a small tornado

Lilith sighed. "At least you know you're birth father," she muttered to herself.

"I _wish_ he'd just give me a little space," she heard Zatanna say.

Lilith turned around as the sound of wind filled the closed hanger. She watched as Red Tornado, Batman, and Zatara fizzled out of existence.

"Batman?" Lilith gasped, her eyes widening.

"Dad!" Zatanna exclaimed as a box crashed to the floor.

Everyone glanced up and looked at each other with wide eyes: they were completely alone.

Lilith dashed to the elevator and impatiently clicked the buttons, and everyone followed her. When the doors opened, Lilith sprinted to the mission room and immediately pulled up the news.

"They're all gone," she breathed out as everyone came in behind her. "Every adult."

"We need to get organized," Aqualad said. "We need to get in contact with anyone we can and have them patrol their cities and make sure everyone is taken care of." The Team nodded. "Robin, stay here. You will tell us where we are needed most. The rest of us will start nearby and move out."

"What about me?" Zatanna asked.

"Do what you think is best," Aqualad said and he and the Team moved to the zeta-tubes.

"I'll stay here then," Zatanna said with a smile at Robin.

* * *

 **Happy Harbor  
November 5, 2019 EDT**

"We've set up a refugee center at the high school gym," Kid Flash said over the comm units. "Any luck with—"

"No," Robin cut off. "Can't raise the Batcave, the Hall of Justice, or the Watch…" He trailed off as a thought dawned on him. "Or _any_ adult hero, even Red Arrow."

"He turned eighteen?" Lilith asked immediately.

"Must have," Robin said.

"Guess we're on our own," Kid Flash said. "Kid Flash out."

Lilith clicked her earpiece and continued her search of the block. She had already found five minors, three of them under ten. She had called Kid Flash to come pick them up, and Lilith turned to the next house.

It looked like any other house in the neighborhood, and she easily picked the lock. The door opened to the living room and a very recognizable boy was sitting on the sofa, hands in his hair. When he heard the door open, he sprang to his feet and saw a girl with dark sunglasses in jeans, a tank top, and a leather jacket with boots and…a gun belt?

"I'm here to help," the girl said, holding her hands up to show she held no weapons…in her hands, anyway. Alex Harper glanced nervously at her belt then back at her.

"Wait a minute," he said slowly, and for a moment, Lilith froze, afraid he had recognized her from the beach. "You're Lilith," Alex said. "The one who fights with the other teens."

"Yes," Lilith said, breathing in relief in her head. "We've set up a refugee camp at the local high school. I've been around the neighborhood, collecting the kids."

"I can help," Alex said immediately.

"I appreciate the offer, but it would be best if you went to the school and watched over the younger kids who don't have older siblings to care for them," Lilith said.

"Anything," Alex said with a smile, grabbing his jacket and following Lilith out the door.

"Lilith to Kid Flash," Lilith said, pushing the comm. "I've got another one coming your way. He'll be able to watch some of the younger kids, and Artemis can join us rounding up the rest of the minors. Lilith out."

"Will I see you again?" Alex asked as Lilith started toward the next house.

"Probably not," she said. "As soon as we're done here, we're moving to the next city."

She turned away but Alex grabbed her hand and pulled her back.

"Wh—" Lilith was cut off when Alex ducked his head and pressed his lips to hers. She stood still, her eyes wide in surprise.

"I've always wanted to do that," Alex said when he pulled away.

"What?" Lilith whispered, the fear of him recognizing her creeping back.

"Act impulsively and kiss a girl I think is pretty," Alex responded with a grin.

"Y-you can't possibly know what I look like," Lilith said.

Alex didn't respond, just smiled and headed to the school.

Lilith let out a breath and pursed her lips. "Right," she said quietly. She shook her head and took off for the next house.

"Aqualad to Lilith," she heard in her ear. "We are doing a video cast, and we would like you to translate. Head back to the Cave ASAP."

"Roger," Lilith said. She sprinted to the school where she had parked her bike and then took off for the Cave.

She parked in the hanger and rushed to the mission room, where Robin was setting up the connection. Everyone was dressed.

"Just in time," Aqualad said when he spotted her. A funny feeling boiled in the pit of her stomach, but Lilith quickly squashed it down. She managed to give him a small smile, which he returned before he started talking.

Once they were finished and Lilith had sent off the last video, she changed and quickly came back. She sighed and crossed her arms over her chest.

"Would you care to go home?" Aqualad asked her softly.

Lilith glanced up at him. "I know what I'd find," she answered. "I don't think I could take it if I saw it with my own eyes."

Aqualad nodded. "Understood."

"Maybe you should try Atlantis," she suggested. "The spell might have skipped over them."

"Good idea," Aqualad said. "I will be back."

Lilith sighed and looked around. "Where's Zatanna?" she asked Robin.

"Preparing a locator spell," he said. "Like the one Zatara used on the Injustice League."

Lilith bit her lip. "If we believe magic is involved, do you think—" She trailed off when she caught Kid Flash's eyes and he gave a grim nod.

"Who among us could wear it?" Lilith asked, falling in step with Kid Flash as he made his way to his souvenir room.

"We both know there's only one person who could truly make the connection with Nabu," Kid Flash said. Lilith nodded.

The Helmet sat level to Lilith's eyes and she reached out to stroke the cool metal.

"I finally got through to Atlantis," Aqualad informed, coming up behind them. "No adults there either."

"So…just how desperate are we?" Kid Flash asked softly, turning to Aqualad.

"It could definitely come in handy," Lilith said, not taking her eyes off it and deliberately not saying its name; an ominous feeling came to her whenever she looked into the empty eyes.

"Yes, but we know anyone who dons the Helmet and allows Nabu to possess him may never be released from being Doctor Fate," Aqualad reminded them.

"So…not that desperate," Kid Flash summarized.

"Not yet," Aqualad said.

"Guys?" Lilith turned and found Zatanna leaning against the doorframe. "I-I'm ready to try my father's locator spell."

The four headed back to the mission room and Robin pulled up a holographic globe. Zatanna stepped forward and said, " _Etacol retnecipe fo yrecros!_ "

"Coordinate's locked," Robin informed. "Roanoke Island," he identified. "You did it."

"Roanoke…that's not far from here," Lilith said. "It shouldn't take long to—"

She was cut off when a voice exclaimed, "It works!" Lilith gasped and whirled around to find a young boy, maybe ten, with dark hair and blue eyes.

"Where did you come from?" Aqualad asked immediately, stepping forward. "Who are you?"

Instead of answering directly, the boy said, "Quick, read my mind!"

Miss Martian's eyes glowed green and then she gasped. "He's Captain Marvel," she said, her eyes wide.

"I knew it!" Lilith exclaimed. Everyone turned to her and she cleared her throat. "Uh, just that Captain Marvel seemed awfully child-like."

"Right, and I'm Speedy Gonzalez," Kid Flash said sarcastically. "Look, just because he believes he's Cap—"

Kid Flash was cut off when the boy said, "Gee, Wally, do I really need to bring you nachos and pineapple juice to get on your good side?"

The boy, who introduced himself as Billy Batson, quickly told them what he had discovered: that there were two universes, one for adults and one for kids. Since Billy and Captain Marvel were the same person, he was able to travel between the two dimensions.

Back and forth, Billy traveled between the two worlds, Batman and Aqualad conversing through him. Finally, a plan was set.

* * *

 **Roanoke Island  
November 6, 0034 EDT**

Lilith, Robin, and Artemis stood in the open, facing Klarion's exposed back. Simultaneously, they fired at him: Lilith her stunners, Artemis her arrows, and Robin his disks. Klarion easily put up a shield and the projectiles fell uselessly to the ground.

"That's the best you can do?" he taunted in his annoying voice, his eyes narrowing. He raised his hand in their direction and a red arc of electricity shot toward them. Lilith jumped out of the way and the ground exploded at her feet.

Lilith heard Superboy, Kid Flash, and Aqualad grunt, and she figured their direct attack hadn't worked. Somewhere, Zatanna exclaimed, " _Etativel mih ffo eht margatnep!_ " The dust settled and Lilith saw a dent appear in the shield Klarion had conjured, though it quickly disappeared.

Klarion sniffed. "Huh," he said. "Baby magic." He recited a spell of his own and Lilith watched as Zatanna was thrown back with a yelp.

Lilith scrambled to her feet and saw Miss Martian flying above Klarion, hurling rocks at his protective shield. He opened his mouth and breathed out…something. Lilith ducked behind a tree and began firing stunning pellets, hoping to break through the shield with enough electricity.

Out of the corner of her eyes, Lilith spotted an arrow soaring toward the cat Lilith had seen in Salem, which sat outside the shield. Before the arrow reached its target, Klarion raised his hand and turned the arrow into a ball of yarn, which rolled to a stop in front of the cat.

Klarion cackled. "Show them what the familiar to a Lord of Chaos can do, Teekl," he said. The cat, Teekl, began to grow and lose interest in the yarn. It growled, and Superboy ran forward but was easily swatted away by the familiar.

Lilith quickly changed course and starting shooting at Teekl, but the pellets didn't seem to affect the cat at all.

Within his protective shell, Klarion grunted. "So," he said as Lilith turned around, "you teamed up with the grownups. Teamwork is so overrated."

He raised his hand, and in the center of the bubble, a pale yellow crystal crackled with electricity. Blue arms reached out.

"Oh, no," Lilith growled, weaving between the arcs. "Not getting shocked again."

Behind her, she heard Artemis and Robin get hit. Aqualad managed to hold his arc at bay, and Kid Flash was thrown back.

" _Temleh fo Etaf, laever flesruoy!_ "

Lilith whipped around in time to see the Helmet of Fate appear in front of Zatanna. "No!" Lilith yelled, turning her back to Klarion and taking a step toward Zatanna.

Zatanna snapped her gaze up and found Lilith reaching out to her. Behind her, an arc of blue electricity reached for her. "Lilith, behind you!" Zatanna warned.

Lilith turned around in time to see the blue streak hit her chest before all went black.

When Lilith's eyes fluttered open, she saw Aqualad kneeling beside her.

"How do you feel?" he asked as he helped her to her feet.

"Like I was fried," Lilith groaned. She glanced down at Aqualad's hands, which were still on her upper arms, and she stepped away and stared at the ground.

"Did we win?" she heard Robin ask.

"At a cost," Aqualad responded grimly beside Lilith. She glanced up and saw Doctor Fate with long black hair.

"Oh, no," she whispered.

"Fate!" Zatara yelled angrily at the Lord of Order. "Great Nabu," he corrected, "release my daughter."

There was a slight pause. "No," Doctor Fate finally growled, glaring down at Zatara. "Witness the havoc wrought in these hours. The world needs Doctor Fate," he declared, "and the girl's natural affinity for the mystic arts makes her the perfect candidate." Lilith shivered involuntarily. Hearing Zatanna's voice with Doctor Fate's was eerie, especially when she spoke about herself.

"You can't do that!" Artemis yelled.

"She has a life of her own!" Robin added.

"Kent would never allow you—" Kid Flash started.

"Kent Nelson did object, strenuously," Doctor Fate said. "So I released his spirit to the afterlife. He is gone."

Everyone, Team and League, glanced at each other, a feeling of loss settling over them.

"Take me instead." Lilith's eyes snapped to Zatara, who sounded small and defeated as he said it. "My skills are already at their peak. My body is physically stronger, better able to withstand the strain of your power."

"All true," Doctor Fate agreed. "But if I remove the Helmet, what guarantee have I that you will don it?" he inquired.

"My word," Zatara said softly. He spoke a few words, which seemed to be enough for Doctor Fate. He lowered himself to stand in front of Zatara, and Zatanna appeared before them.

"Dad!" she exclaimed.

"Zatanna," Zatara said, wrapping his arms around his only child. "Remember," he said softy once they had pulled apart, "I love you." He kissed her forehead and took the Helmet from her hands. He turned to the others. "Take care of my girl," he said, and to Lilith, it sounded like a plea, which she supposed was logical: he would never get to see her again.

"You have my word," Batman said solemnly.

Zatara nodded and lifted the Helmet above his head.

"No, please!" Zatanna yelled, realizing what her father was doing. "This was my fault!" Robin walked forward to comfort her, but she threw off his arms as Zatara lowered the Helmet over his eyes. "Dad, don't!" she pleaded. "Dad!"

Doctor Fate opened his eyes and turned away from Zatanna. "Leave these to Fate," he said, gesturing to the sorcerers Batman had bound together. They rose in the air and disappeared in a flash of golden light.

Zatanna fell to her knees in shock, staring at the spot her father had stood for the last time. Robin kneeled beside her, and Artemis and Kid Flash rushed to her side.

Lilith bowed her head from her place beside Kaldur. She didn't know what it was like to lose a father; she had never known hers. But she understood the despair of realizing you were all alone without a parent to guide you.

For a long time, they all stood in silence, mourning the loss of Giovani Zatara.

* * *

Naomi took a deep breath before inserting her key and turning the doorknob.

"Lisa?" she called out hesitantly. "David? James?"

"Oh!" she heard someone gasp.

A huge smile spread across Naomi's lips as she rushed forward to embrace her family.

"We were so worried," David whispered, holding Naomi close.

"We didn't know what had happened!" Lisa gasped, wrapping her arms around Naomi.

"We tried your cell a million times," James said, completely the family hug. "It kept going straight to voicemail."

Naomi pulled back and wiped the tears that had started to fall down her cheeks. "I know I'm lucky to have you," she said, looking around at the Scotts. "And knowing that I have you makes me less angry about not having a family. Because I do. I have you."

* * *

 **A/N: So, I swear that is the last you will see of that random human, Alex. I was going to get rid of him totally, but I thought if I had this little scene, it would reinforce Lilith's feelings for Aqualad.**

 **Anyway, hope you enjoyed, and I will see you tomorrow!**


	24. Coldhearted

**A/N: I own nothing you recognize.**

 **Wow, I can't believe I forgot to update yesterday! Well, I also forgot that was the day I was supposed to brush my dog's teeth, so...**

 **Thank you for all the comments, favorites, and follows.**

* * *

 **Gotham City  
November 11, 0600 EST**

Naomi groaned at the insistent beeping of her alarm clock. She quickly shut it off and then rolled onto her back and stared at the ceiling. A chill passed over her and she shivered, pulling the blankets up to her chin. _Seems a bit cold for November,_ she mused, burrowing further into her bed.

A knock came at her door and Naomi called out, "Come in!"

"You got lucky, kiddo," James said, poking his head in. "Freak snow storm. All schools closed."

Naomi let out a relieved sigh. "Yes," she said quietly, closing her eyes and doing a fist-pump. "Okay, good-night!" she exclaimed before pulling the covers over her head.

Several hours later, Naomi woke again to a beeping in her ear. "I read you," she yawned.

"We're gonna start setting up for Wally's birthday party!" M'gann chirped. "Wanna help?"

"Give me half an hour," Naomi responded.

"Sounds good!" M'gann said. "See you then!"

Naomi rolled out of bed and shivered as the cold air hit her. She hurried to her closet and dressed in her warmest clothes. She put her hair in its usual low bun before grabbing her phone and heading downstairs.

"I'm going out!" she called as she grabbed her winter coat. Naomi put on her sunglasses and pulled the fur-lined hood over her head.

When she arrived at the Cave, she headed straight to the kitchen and found everyone.

"Lilith!" M'gann said happily. "Just in time! We need to make some more batters."

"Why?" Lilith asked immediately, searching for any indication of a recent fire or broken glass bowl.

Zatanna laughed. "Nothing bad happened," she assured. "Just figured we'd need two cakes for Wally."

"And what'll the guests be having?" Lilith asked, her lips twitching upward.

"Cupcakes!" Robin requested from the sofa.

"You're not gonna get any if you don't help!" Lilith called from the kitchen as she started on a chocolate batter.

"You're not fun," Robin grumbled, though he did make his way to the kitchen. Lilith pushed the bowl in Robin's hands and smirked. Robin stuck his tongue out at her.

"Cheer up," Lilith smiled, giving him a small nudge in the ribs. "A woman loves a man who can bake." While Robin worked on the cupcake batter, Lilith started another cake.

The batters were made quickly and put in the oven.

"What next?" Zatanna asked.

"Icing!" M'gann said with a beam. She quickly levitated the necessary ingredients from the cabinets. The three girls began working on the icing, and once they were finished, the cakes and cupcakes were iced.

At quarter to four, the Team finally finished putting the last decorations up around the room.

"Let's hide!" M'gann suggested, clapping her hands together and beaming around the room. "He could be here any moment!"

Unfortunately for the Team, they didn't know when Wally was supposed to show up and as a result, Lilith ended up crouched behind the kitchen counter.

"I'm getting a cramp," she hissed to no one in particular.

"It'll be worth it," M'gann whispered.

"It better be," Lilith muttered though she rolled her eyes good-naturedly.

"Be a tragedy if I missed my own—" Wally's voice suddenly carried through the halls.

"Finally," Lilith sighed. The lights in the kitchen and living room popped on, and Lilith sprang to her feet with everyone else.

"Surprise!"

"Wh-at?" Wally exclaimed, clearing expecting it. "Oh, you guys! You shouldn't have."

"Right," Robin laughed. "Not like you've been hinting for days or anything."

"We made two cakes," M'gann said once everyone had wished Wally a happy sixteenth birthday. They were now in the living room, waiting for Wally to blow out the candles.

"Awesome," Wally said. "What will you guys eat?" he asked, and Lilith knew he was being serious.

"I made cupcakes!" Robin put in with a satisfied grin.

"Make a wish," M'gann said with while Lilith laughed at Robin's eagerness to share that bit of information.

"Wa-ay ahead of you," Wally said suggestively. Lilith rolled her eyes but smiled. He easily blew out the candles, and everyone applauded. "You know," Wally said, "if I tell you my wish, it won't come true. But if you guess…" He trailed off. M'gann cut a slice of the first cake and held it up. "Nope," Wally said, popping the _p_. "Guess again."

M'gann leaned forward and kissed Wally's forehead. "Happy birthday," she said again. Wally sighed in disappointment and Lilith caught Artemis's expression go from a scowl to a raised eyebrow.

Once everyone split up, Artemis approached Lilith and they began conversing. Lilith glanced over Artemis's shoulders. "Wally still blind to it all," Lilith said with a laugh.

Artemis laughed too and tugged Lilith over to Robin and Zatanna. "Think we should tell him?" she asked, raising an eyebrow. The three followed Artemis's gaze and settled on Wally.

"You're getting warmer, babe," Lilith heard Wally say to M'gann as she picked up the cake. "But I can make you warmer still."

Lilith wrinkled her nose. "Gross," she laughed.

"He's the only one who doesn't know," Robin agreed.

"Then please," Artemis said with a smirk. "Allow me." Lilith, Robin, and Zatanna watched with anticipation as Artemis went and sat on the couch behind Wally. They saw her put her hand on his shoulder and whisper something in his ear. Lilith bit her lip to keep her laughter from spilling out when she saw Artemis's accomplished smirk and Wally's astonished expression with he glanced between Conner and M'gann.

"Oh, man!" Wally wailed, and Lilith and Robin burst at the seams.

Their laughter was quickly silenced when they heard Batman's voice through the comms. "Attention, Team," he said. "Suit up. Polar stealth. Mission briefing in five."

* * *

Lilith was the first to meet back at the mission room. She looked down at her uniform and sighed. She felt sorely obvious in a white and gray uniform.

"Something wrong, Lilith?" Batman asked, appearing on the big screen as they waited for the others.

"I feel like I'm sticking out like a sore thumb," Lilith grumbled, tugging on the open parka she wore, resisting the urge to change the color scheme back to black and purple.

"You know you needed a new uniform, right?" Batman asked, a hint of a smile crossing his face.

"Yes," Lilith sighed, "and I do appreciate the fact it's identical to my old one. Including this." She tapped the small pale grey screech owl insignia just above her heart, and the white turned to black and the grey to a purple so dark it was nearly black. She tapped the owl again as the Team began to arrive, and they gathered around her in front of Batman.

"Where's Flash?" Kid Flash asked.

"Flash and Red Tornado already have their assignments," Batman said. "A massive ice storm has paralyzed North America from coast to coast. Satellite imagery has detected five flying ice fortresses—" A holographic image appeared of a dark object that was spitting out snow, "—source unknown, which seemed to be responsible and must be stopped.

"Can't the Watchtower blow them out of the sky or something?" Kid Flash asked.

"What's a Watchtower?" Lilith heard Zatanna ask Robin slowly, but Robin was kept from explaining when Batman sighed.

"The League's orbiting headquarters is not weaponized," he said. "And with both Green Lanterns off-world, I need all hands on deck."

"Does that mean what I think it means?" Robin asked, anticipation and excitement slipping through in her voice.

"The League and the Team fighting side by side?" Lilith asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Whoa!" Kid Flash said. "Really?"

Batman gave them their assignments, answering their question without actually answering them. "Superboy, use the Super-Cycle to rendezvous with the Batplane at Ice Fortress I. You'll drop off Robin and Aqualad, then continue on with Wolf to meet up with Black Canary and Red Tornado on Ice Fortress II. Miss Martian, take the Bioship and drop Lilith and Artemis off at Ice Fortress III, where you'll meet up with Doctor Fate and Green Arrow. Continue with Zatanna and meet Captain Marvel and Martian Manhunter at Ice Fortress IV. Other Leaguers will deal with Fortress V. Sending all coordinates now."

"Uh, Batman?" Kid Flash asked hesitantly, stepping forward. "I think you skipped—"

"Kid Flash," Batman cut off, "a young girl in Seattle is in desperate need of a heart transplant. With all conventional air traffic grounded by the storm, you'll need to pick up the donor heart in Boston and run it three thousand miles across country."

"Who is this girl?" Kid Flash couldn't help but demand.

"Does it matter?" Batman challenged, narrowing his eyes.

"No," Kid Flash said in defeat. "Of course not. But, can't we zeta—"

"Zeta tubes are off line," Lilith reminded him gently.

"Sorry," Robin added, looking at his best friend sympathetically.

"Right," Kid Flash said with a sigh and then put on a smile. "Then how can I say no? Guess I won't be needing stealth…" He touched the lightning bolt and he was back in yellow and red. "Speedy Delivery Boy, at your service," he said.

After a tense moment, everyone turned to depart.

* * *

 **Ice Fortress III  
November 11, 1734 CST**

Lilith pulled her hood over her dark hair and she glanced at Artemis. Artemis nodded at Lilith and Miss Martian opened a hole in the bottom of the ship and Lilith and Artemis dropped from the ship and onto the ice fortress.

Immediately, the ice ship started firing on them. As Lilith dropped to the surface, she fired her own guns. By the time she had landed in a safe roll, one gun was already disabled. Artemis and Green Arrow were firing their explosive arrows, and Doctor Fate was shooting golden beams.

Lilith dodged the shots fired at her and popped up next to the gun. She pulled out one of her knives and jammed it into the crux between the gun and the base of the ship. She yanked the knife from the metal and turned to run, but the explosion came early. Lilith prepared for impact, but it never came. She glanced up and saw Doctor Fate lower a golden shield.

"Thanks," she called up. Doctor Fate nodded.

"We need to end this!" Artemis called as she backed her way over to Lilith. "I'm almost out of arrows!"

"Consider it ended!" Doctor Fate declared, and with one final wave of his hand, the entire ship exploded. He quickly enveloped Lilith, Artemis, and Green Arrow in a protective bubble as they watched the ice ship lose altitude.

Lilith sighed in relief. "We did it," she said with a laugh.

"Up top," Artemis smirked, holding up her hand for Lilith to high-five.

"Hey, Fate!" Green Arrow called up. "Can you drop us off at the nearest zeta?"

"Very well," Doctor Fate responded.

When they reached the zeta-tube of the city of Dylan, Lilith and Artemis typed in the coordinates for the Cave while Doctor Fate and Green Arrow headed for the Watchtower.

When the two girls reached the Cave, they found the others already there.

"Where's Wally?" Artemis asked, glancing around and not seeing the speedster.

"Still in Seattle," Robin responded.

"Have you heard any news from him?" Lilith inquired, walking forward to join the rest of the Team.

"Nothing so far," Aqualad said.

"But I'm sure it was a success," Miss Martian chimed in, ever the optimist.

"Well, if we're not gonna hear anything from him until at least tomorrow, I'm heading home," Lilith said. "See you guys later." She turned around and walked toward the tubes again.

"Hey, wait," a soft voice called after her. Lilith turned and found Zatanna standing in the middle of the ring while the others started to part ways.

"What can I do for you?" Lilith asked, tilting her head and furrowing her brows.

"You were with my dad, right?" Zatanna asked, twisting her hands together.

Lilith sighed and gave the young magician a small smile. "Yeah, I was with him," she said.

"How was he?" she asked. "I mean, how did he seem?"

"Well, he looks healthy," Lilith said. "And he's in one piece. As for the rest, well…" She trailed off.

Zatanna nodded. "I understand," she said quietly. Lilith noticed her shoulders shake and heard her sniffle.

"Hey," Lilith said gently. She stepped forward and wrapped her arms around the younger girl, who was ironically, though not untypically, taller than her, though just barely. "It's gonna be okay."

For a few minutes, Lilith held Zatanna while she wept quietly into her shoulder. Finally, she pulled away with a final sniffle.

"I'm sorry about that," she said with a watery laugh.

Lilith gave her another smile. "Don't worry about it," she said. "I'm always here if you need a shoulder to lean on," she offered.

"Thank you," Zatanna said, giving Lilith a small smile.

"Anytime, kiddo," Lilith said, using the name James often used on her. She gave Zatanna another smile before turning and heading home.

* * *

 **Mount Justice  
November 12, 1436 EST**

"Dude, I just heard!" Lilith heard Robin exclaim as she passed Wally's souvenir room. "You saved an entire country! _Major_ kudos."

"What can I say?" Wally said. "I'm the man."

"You mean the Wall-Man," Lilith corrected, and both boys turned to see Lilith leaning against the doorway with a small smile on her face. "Congratulations, Wally," she said, walking forward and placing a kiss on his cheek.

"I, uh, thanks," Wally stammered.

Lilith gave a small laugh and turned around again. "I'll see you boys later," she said, glancing over her shoulder as she walked out of the room.

"Hey!" Lilith turned and saw robin running after her.

"Can I help you with something?" she asked, coming to a stop.

"You just like him now that he's saved someone," Robin accused and Lilith couldn't help but burst out laughing. When she saw Robin wasn't joking, she quickly bit her lip.

"Why do you care?" she asked, a smile managing to make its way to her face.

"No reason," Robin grumbled, crossing his arms over his chest and glaring at the floor.

"If you say so," Lilith shrugged. Robin's eyes widened when he felt Lilith press her lips to his cheek and he glanced up as she pulled back and started to walk away. "Bye, Robin," she called over her shoulder, a hint of a laugh in her voice.

"Bye," Robin said softly, staring after her and feeling his cheeks burn.

* * *

 **A/N: Hope you enjoyed.**

 **I might do a second update today, since I forgot to update yesterday, so keep on the lookout!**


	25. Image

**A/N: I own nothing you recognize.**

 **I know, I know, I'm a week late. I do apologize for that; I got so busy last weekend. But maybe I'll post another one tomorrow?**

 **Thank you for all the comments, favorites, and follows.**

 **As for what happened last chapter: Lilith was truly just congratulating Wally on a job well done. THERE'S NOTHING BETWEEN THEM! And Robin, she just likes to push his buttons.**

* * *

 **Mount Justice  
November 22, 0950 EST**

Lilith glanced up when she heard Batman call her name.

"Robin, Lilith, Kid Flash, Superboy, Miss Martian, report for mission briefing."

Lilith stood and hurried to the mission room.

Once everyone was there, Batman explained the situation. "Rumann Harjavti is the democratically-elected president of Qurac." Above Batman, two images appeared, one of a man with dark hair and tan skin and the country of Qurac on the another. Another screen superseded the first two, and a video footage of Harjavti and Bruce Wayne were shaking hands. "Harjavit has been praised as a fair, wise leader, a humanitarian."

"Su-ure," Kid Flash drawled. "Any friend of Bruce Wayne's." Lilith gave Kid Flash a hard look, and she noticed Robin doing the same.

"But five days ago, Harjavti allied himself with the dictator of the neighboring nation of Bialya, Queen Bee," Batman continued, and the map expanded to include Bialya in the shot, and an image of Queen Bee appeared.

Superboy scoffed. "Not a fan," he said.

"Few are," Batman agreed. "But Harjavti's suddenly backs Queen Bee's baseless claim that Qurac and Bialya were one nation in ancient times, _and_ has announced the countries will reunify in two days in a ceremony in Qurac."

A video of GBS News appeared, and according to the location stamp, it was in Dhabar, Qurac at the Democratic Palace. Harjavti was at the podium, announcing, "After the ceremony I will step down as president, so that our rightful monarch, Queen Bee, may rule." The crowd murmured below them. As the camera panned out, Lilith shook her head at the mosaic of Queen Bee with the white dove of peace appearing to take flight off her finger.

 _Because everyone knows_ that's _completely true,_ Lilith thought to herself.

The next video was at the Royal Palace in Al-Qawiyah, Bialya, and Queen Bee was saying, "I laud President Harjavti for unifying out peoples, and I will _gladly_ come to Qurac to be crowned sole leader of our nation."

"And the Quracis are okay with this?" Kid Flash demanded.

"Hardly," Batman said, and another screen appeared, showing a peaceful march in Dhabar, Qurac. "They're well aware of the brutality of Queen Bee's regime, but Harjavti has censored the press, silenced all legitimate protest, and invited the Bialyan military into his country to enforce martial law."

"Queen Bee _has_ to be controlling Harjavti," Robin said. "Doesn't she have the power to enthrall most men?" he asked.

"And some woman," Batman added. "But not long distance, and we have confirmation she hasn't left Bialya. Something else is at work here. Find out what."

"Or _someone_ else," Lilith mumbled. Batman looked at her and she sighed. "Well, the last time we were in Bialya, someone wiped out six months of our memories. There's no way a psychic was _not_ involved."

"Very well," Batman nodded. "Keep that in mind. Robin," he added, turning to the Wonder Boy. "You're team leader."

"Promotion," Kid Flash sang. "Sweet," he said, holding up his hand for a high-five, but Lilith caught the look of surprise and horror on his face.

"Me?" Robin asked, quickly schooling his features. "What about Aqualad?" he asked.

"Busy helping Aquaman," Batman said. "You're the next logical choice."

"Not even Lilith?" Robin tried, and she could hear the anxiety creeping into his voice.

"Sorry, Wonder Boy," she said with a grimace. "I'm not cut out to lead."

"Great," Robin grumbled, glaring at the floor.

"Dude," Kid Flash said. "You totally left me hanging." Lilith knocked Kid Flash in the back of the head. "Ow!" he exclaimed.

"Let's just go," Robin said, squaring his shoulders. Everyone headed to the Hanger, but Lilith hesitated.

"Hey," she said softly. Robin glanced up in surprise. "I know you're worried about leading—"

"What?" Robin said quickly. "What makes you say that?"

"Robin," Lilith said gently but firmly. "No one else is here. You can admit how you're feeling."

Robin sighed. "How did you know?" he mumbled.

Lilith reached out and touched his arm. "I can read people pretty well," she said, "and I read your face when Batman told you." Robin glanced up at her and she gave him a small smile. "I don't know where your fear of leading came from," she continued, "but be confident in what you can do. You are, by far, the most qualified."

Robin laughed a little. "Not even you, with your six years with Batman?" he asked.

Lilith grabbed his wrist and gently pulled him along. She laughed a little, but it sounded slightly bitter to Robin. "No, Robin," she said softly. "Not even with my…years of experience. The Team thing…" she said, glancing at him, "it's all new to me."

"Will you ever tell the Team what your life was before Batman?" Robin inquired.

Lilith gave him a wry smile. "Maybe someday, Bird Brain."

"Will you stop calling me that?" Robin grumbled, but Lilith could tell it was to lighten the mood.

"Now that I know it bothers you _this_ much…" Lilith sighed heavily, pretending to consider it. "Nope," she said with a grin. "Now let's go!"

* * *

 **Qurac  
November 22, 2356 UTC+2**

"We're right above the Quraci-Bialyan border," Robin announced as they flew lower in the sky.

"A border the Bialyans are in the process of ignoring," Kid Flash said, looking below them. Lilith followed his gaze and saw two tanks and a couple dozen foot soldiers stomping past a wood-and-wire fence. A herd of wildebeest turned and stampeded away.

"No opposition," Superboy noticed. "Guess Harjavti really is in bed with Bialya."

"I wouldn't expect opposition here," Robin spoke up, looking up from his holograph. "It's an animal sanctuary."

"The _Logan_ Animal Sanctuary?" Miss Martian asked, sitting up straighter in her seat.

"You've heard of it?" Lilith asked, turning in her seat to look at Miss Martian.

Before Miss Martian could respond, Kid Flash spoke up again. "Guys, the tanks have caused a stampede. With civilians in harm's way!"

"I see them," Superboy said. "Woman and a small boy."

"We have to help them," Miss Martian declared.

"We're way off mission here," Robin argued. He stared out the window, deep in thought. "Deploy," he said finally, turning to look at them. "But stealth mode. If the Bialyans know we hit them, this becomes an international incident."

"If we want to avoid the Bialyans, we should just move the civilians," Lilith said, standing up from her seat.

"That won't help anything," Superboy said angrily.

"It keeps us from being targeted," Lilith said firmly. Everyone stared at her. She sighed in defeat. "Fine, fine."

As the Team got ready, Robin said, "See? Natural leader."

Lilith bit her lip. "Perhaps," she admitted slowly. "But I still think you're the one supposed to lead."

Miss Martian aimed the Bioship at the first tank and fired. It moved off course and ran into the second, rendering both unusable. Troops poured out of both, and the ones already on the ground searched wildly for the source.

Lilith dropped from the Bioship and landed lightly on the top of one of the soldiers. Two more ran toward her and Lilith simply ducked and the two skidded to a stop to keep from colliding with each other. Using this time, Lilith stood and caught both with an uppercut. Rapid firing broke out and Lilith gracefully wove her way through the bullets. She pulled out her own guns and started firing stunners, rendering several unconscious.

"Superboy!" she suddenly exclaimed, whirling around as she saw Superboy wrestle a wildebeest to the ground. She cringed at the animal's pain, and one soldier took the opportunity to knock her gun out of her hand. She whipped her head around and quickly knocked the soldier out. " _Baguhan_ ," she muttered.

She regrouped with Robin behind the mother and son. "Are you both alright?" he asked. Kid Flash skidded to a stop and dropped the guns he had collected before tossing them aside carelessly. Lilith rolled her eyes and went to remove the ammunition.

"Mom," the boy said. "Mom. Mom!" His mother shook her head and turned to her son. "We were just saved by Robin and Kid Flash!"

"Lilith, Superboy, and Miss Martian helped too," Kid Flash included.

"Oryx!" the boy said happily as Miss Martina lowered an animal to the ground.

"We diverted the Bialyans around the sanctuary," Robin said. "You should be safe now."

"Uh, yeah, coast is clear, Miss M," Kid Flash said, glancing behind him to look at Miss Martian. "You can de-camo now."

Miss Martian lowered her hood. "H-hi," she said, sounding nervous. Lilith tilted her head and glanced between the mother and Miss Martian; they looked remarkably similar.

"You may have made things worse," the woman said grimly. "Bialyan border crossings are a way of life here. Usually they wreck a few fences and move on. Engaging them might have made us a target." She crossed her arms and stared at the Team.

Lilith rolled her eyes. "Will no one ever listen to me?" she mumbled to herself.

"Mom," the boy said. "Uncool."

The woman sighed. "I'm sorry," she said. "I should thank you. This is my son Garfield. I'm—"

"Marie Logan!" Miss Martian interrupted. "I can't believe I'm actually meeting you in person," she said, stepping forward and sounding like a girl meeting her idol. "Uh, I've-I've admired your stance on animal rights for years," she quickly explained.

The wildebeest snorted and limped over. Marie turned to it. "The Oryx is sick," she said, "and I think you injured this wildebeest." She threw a look over her shoulder at Superboy.

"Uh, sorry?" he asked hesitantly.

"I suppose it was unavoidable," Marie said with a sigh. "But both need to go to our clinic."

"They can do that!" Miss Martian quickly volunteered. "You and I can…fix your fence!" she suggested.

"That's not exactly our—" Robin started to say, but he was cut off when Miss Martian turned around and said, "Robin," clasping her hands in front of her.

Behind her, Garfield ran up to Marie. "Please, Mom," he asked.

Marie and Robin simultaneously sighed and said, "Fine."

"Yes!" Miss Martian and Garfield exclaimed.

"We should set up camp," Robin said, glancing around. "Miss Martian, can you reconfigure the Bioship with cots?"

"Of course," Miss Martian said. The Bioship appeared above them and landed. Lilith glanced up at the sky and decided on some quiet time outside. She headed to a tree and climbed to the highest branch before settling in the joint where the branch met the trunk.

A minute later, the leaves rustled and Lilith turned around to see Robin join her. "You okay?" he asked.

Lilith laughed. "I'm fine," she said. "Are you?"

"I suppose," Robin said. He perched on a branch just below Lilith.

"So how's first mission as leader going?" Lilith inquired

"So far, so good," Robin said with a small chuckle. "Hope it stays that way."

"We're Junior Justice," Lilith said with a smile and a shrug. "There's nothing that we can't handle."

"When did you become an optimist?" Robin asked, glancing up at her and raising an eyebrow.

"Who said I was?" Lilith asked, raising an eyebrow. "There are just some things I know as fact."

For a while, the pair sat in comfortable silence. Lilith watched the stars twinkle above and she sighed contently.

"You happy?" Robin asked softly.

"Yeah," she said with a slight smile. "I guess I am." After a moment, Lilith asked, "Do you ever look at yourself and think, 'How in the world did I end up here?'"

"Not in a while," Robin answered. "Probably not since I became Robin. You?"

"Every day," Lilith said.

"Are you ever going to tell anyone your story?" Robin inquired again, looking up at Lilith.

"You know my answer, Bird Brain," Lilith said with a light laugh. "I'll tell everyone eventually. Now get to sleep," she admonished playfully. "We have a long day ahead of us."

Robin mock saluted before making his way down the tree. Lilith stayed a few moments longer before heading to the Bioship.

In the back of the ship, portioned aside were two small cots, and M'gann was already fast asleep in one. Lilith settled in the other and curled on her side. Lilith resisted sleep for the longest time, fearing one of her dreams.

When she finally awoke, she sighed in relief; apparently, she had been too tired to actively dream. Lilith stretched in the cot and stood.

"We ready?" Robin asked, sounding tense.

"Yeah," Kid Flash nodded. Lilith approached Robin and gave him a little nudge and a small smile. He managed a tiny smile back before he went back to looking tense.

"Let's get this show on the road," Lilith said with a sigh. With nothing else to do, the others nodded and set off: Miss Martian and Marie to repair the fences and Garfield, Robin, Lilith, Kid Flash, and Superboy to the Logan house.

The sun was rising as they reached a low one-story home and barn. As they passed under a tree, a small monkey screeched and landed on Superboy's shoulder before leaping onto Kid Flash and running around his shoulders.

"Hey!" Kid Flash exclaimed. "Get it off!" The monkey swiped Kid Flash's energy bar and jumped to Garfield.

Garfield laughed. "It's okay," he said. "Meet Monkey."

"Good name," Superboy glowered. "But I hate monkeys." The monkey threw the energy bar and glared at Superboy.

"Looks like Monkey hates Superboys," Robin joked, and Lilith was happy to see that for the moment, he wasn't feeling stressed about his role as leader.

"Dude," Kid Flash said to Superboy with a grin, "be glad he only threw a protein bar." Lilith snickered and Superboy scowled at her.

"So," Garfield said once they were in the house. "Pretty weird about Miss Martian and my mom, huh?" he asked.

Kid Flash and Robin each took a chair, and Lilith sat on the couch across from Robin. Superboy stood and crossed his arms. "What do you mean?" he asked.

"I mean, she looks _exactly_ like Marie," Garfield explained. "You know, except greener."

"She does?" Kid Flash asked.

"You didn't see it?" Lilith asked, glancing at the boys and they shook their heads.

"Well, duh," Garfield said. "Especially back when Mom was a T.V. star on _Hello, Megan._ "

Lilith gasped. "I always thought Miss Martian looked familiar!" she exclaimed.

"You've heard to _Hello, Megan_?" Garfield asked.

Lilith nodded. "They used to play reruns of old shows like that in the common rooms," she said.

"Common rooms?" Robin asked and Lilith ducked her head.

"Wait, _Hello, Megan_ is a T.V. show?" Kid Flash asked, brining everyone's focus back on the topic at hand.

"I just thought it was something she said all the time," Robin said, turning to Kid Flash.

"Yeah," Garfield said, looking at them like they were crazy. " _On the T.V. show._ Way before we were born. Only one season," he said. "You can't even _find_ it online." He glanced back at the T.V. set and the countless tapes beneath it. "I know Mom has a tape somewhere."

After several minutes of searching, Garfield finally came up. " _Hello, Megan,_ the pilot episode." When he blew on it, a cloud of dust appeared. He went to insert it into the VHS machine.

"Whoa," Kid Flash said. "You still have VHS? Where's your eight-track?" he joked.

"Wait," Sueprboy said, and Lilith glanced at him. "Aircraft headed this way." He ran for the door and Kid Flash followed.

"Gar," Robin said as he stood, "stay put."

"Please," Lilith added when she saw Garfield begin to protest. "It's the only way to keep you safe."

"But the animals in the barn!" Garfield exclaimed.

"I'll get them out," Lilith said. "I promise. But you have to promise _me_ to stay here!" Once Garfield nodded, she sighed in relief and dashed out the door.

Lilith ran out onto the deck just as Marie and Miss Martian arrived.

"What is it?" Miss Martian asked. The sound of engines roaring turned their attention to the sky. The planes started shooting, and Miss Martian pushed Marie in front of her, and Superboy ran to cover them both.

"Where's my son?" Marie demanded.

"I ordered him to stay inside," Robin said from the porch.

"I promised him I'd get the animals," Lilith gasped, and she dashed across the yard toward the barn.

"He's eight!" she heard Marie exclaim as she reached the doors. "He doesn't _do_ orders."

Just as Lilith was reaching for the doors, they slid open.

"Mom!" Garfield yelled. "It's okay, I got the animals out!"

"Garfield!" Lilith yelled, grabbing his arm and pulling him away from the barn. "I promised you I would get the animals!"

"I'm sorry," Garfield said, coming to a stop. "I was worried.

"We can't discuss this now," Lilith insisted, tugging him forward. "Right now, we need to—"

Lilith was cut off when the popping of bullets got closer, and she quickly shielded Garfield's body with her own. She yelled out as an explosion rang behind her and a large piece of wood caught her in the back.

"Garfield!" she heard Marie yell.

Miss Martian flew forward and held out her hands to stop the flying pieces of wood from hitting Lilith. Beneath her, Lilith heard Garfield groan, and she looked down and gasped. He was unconscious and it looked as though he had taken a blow to the head. "H-how?" Lilith whispered to herself. She quickly scooped him up and ran as smoothly as she could back to the others.

"I'm so sorry," Lilith gasped as Marie took her son in her arms. "I thought I had him covered, but a piece must have gone over my shoulder." Her hands trembled as they fell to her sides. "I should have stayed with him in the house. I'm sorry."

The planes came back and Superboy and Miss Martian ran to meet them.

"I told you there'd be consequences," Marie said tightly, turning to Robin who had gone to Lilith's side as her shoulders began to shake.

"Always," Robin said grimly. "Let's get him inside," he said and he put an arm around Lilith to get her to walk forward.

They rushed to Garfield's room, and Marie quickly wrapped his head and started an I.V.

"He's in shock," she said, going from mother to doctor in a second. "He needs a blood transfusion, now. Are any of you O negative?" she asked.

Robin pulled up his hologram and said, "No."

"Sorry," Kid Flash said from the doorway. Lilith opened her mouth to speak but her words got caught in her throat.

"Neither am I," Marie said with a sigh. "It's the hardest to match. I kept a supply in the clinic."

"I can run him to the nearest hospital," Kid Flash offered.

"The nearest hospital with a guaranteed blood supply's half an hour away at your top speed," Robin said, consulting his hologram again. "Longer by Bioship."

"He doesn't have that much time," Marie said. "What's Superboy's blood type?" she asked, sounding desperate.

"He's Kryptonian,"Robin said.

"I—" Lilith gasped, finally finding her voice. She cleared her throat and tried again. "I'm a match," she said. "I'm sorry I didn't say anything before, I wasn't—"

"No, it's fine," Marie said, sighing in relief. "We can start right away."

"Wait," Robin said. "I'm afraid with your size, taking the amount of blood Garfield needs will be too much. You can't regenerate your cells that quickly."

"We have to try," Lilith said. "It's my fault, I should pay the consequences."

"You may not have to," a quiet voice said. Lilith snapped her head up and found Miss Martian standing in the doorway. "My shapeshifting occurs on the cellular level," she explained. "I think I can morph my blood to match his," she said, walking to stand at his side.

"You can regenerate your cells that quickly?" Robin asked. Miss Martian nodded.

"Please, try," Marie said, becoming a mother again.

"I'll need to concentrate," Miss Martian said, closing her eyes and putting her fingers to her temple. "No distractions," she added, glancing back at Marie. Marie nodded.

"Out," she said, glaring at them. "All of you, out." Robin grabbed Lilith's arm and tugged her along. Once they were over the threshold, Marie slammed the door closed.

Lilith jumped at the loud sound and began shaking again. She winced and placed a hand on her back where the wood had struck her.

"Do you need someone to look at that?' Robin offered.

"No, I'm okay," Lilith replied shakily. Robin just nodded and helped her to the sofa, where she leaned forward so her forehead was touching her knees.

Robin sat next to her and leaned his elbows on his knees and gripped his hair. "And on top of all this, Harjavti steps down tomorrow, subjecting all of Qurac to this danger," he said, sitting up again and covering his face with his hands. "K-K.F., can you find the news station?" Robin asked, running his hands through his hair.

"Sure," Kid Flash said, standing and clutching three remotes. "Which remote is it?" he asked, and pointed one at random at the T.V.

It fizzled on and Lilith jumped again at the sound of a bell ringing. She looked up and watched as the opening credits of _Hello, Megan_ began to play on the screen.

"Do we have to watch this now?" Lilith asked, leaning forward again and clutching her head like she had a bad headache. The theme song kept playing and no one responded. She glanced up and saw the three boys were staring at the T.V. Well, at Megan. Lilith stood and joined them and watched as they shared shocked looks.

"Maybe it's a coincidence," Superboy said, though he didn't look too convinced himself.

The opening scene began playing, and Lilith watched as a teenaged Marie Logan came hurrying down the stairs. A doorbell rang on the show and "Megan" smacked her forehead with the heel of her hand. "Hello, Megan!" she declared and the laugh track rolled.

Megan opened the door and exclaimed, "Conner!" Lilith raised an eyebrow and glanced at Superboy; he wasn't looking at the T.V. and was glaring at the ground.

"Oh, yeah," Kid Flash whispered, leaning over to Robin. "Pure coincidence."

"It's done." Lilith's eyes widened and she whirled around to see Miss Martian, who was staring at the floor. "All we can do now is wait." Beside Lilith, Robin stared at the T.V. while Kid Flash hurriedly punched buttons on the remote until the T.V. went to static.

"My fellow Quracis." Lilith turned back to the T.V. to see Harjavti on screen.

"Is that Harjavti?" Miss Martian asked, walking forward.

"Queen Bees rule is a gist to Qurac," Harjavti continued.

"Hey, that guy in the back," Superboy pointed out. "I know him." Robin pulled up a hologram and zoomed in on the image.

"Psimon," Lilith whispered, bringing her hand to her mouth.

"The psychic we fought last time we were in Bialya," Miss Martian said. "He was working for Queen Bee then, he _must_ be controlling Harjavit for her now."

"I knew it," Lilith muttered, shaking her head.

Miss Martian gave her a questioning. "I didn't think anyone besides myself and Superboy saw him," she said.

Lilith tensed slightly. "I've heard of him," she said simply. "Not a fan."

"And you didn't say anything?" Superboy demanded loudly.

Lilith turned to glare at him. "Like that would have changed anything on this mission," she snapped.

Kid Flash groaned and slapped his hand over his face. "I still remember the headache from when he brain blasted us."

"We _have_ to get Harjavti away from him," Robin said.

"I think it worked," Marie said from behind them, and Lilith turned to face her. "Garfield's stable."

"Good," Robin said, "because we have our mission."

The Team took off for the Bioship, Lilith with a slight limp.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Robin asked once they were on the ship.

"I'm fine," Lilith said, giving him what was supposed to be a reassuring smile but turned out to be a slight grimace.

"You're limping," Robin pointed out.

"We don't have time to worry about that," Lilith said firmly. "Besides, I've been hurt worse before."

"True," Robin laughed, thinking back to their raid on Cadmus.

Lilith rolled her eyes. "I don't remember you thinking it was so funny at the time," she said.

"Look, I will be checking that when we get back," Robin insisted.

Lilith sighed. "Fine, Doctor," she said, but she couldn't stop her lip from quirking.

* * *

 **Dhabar  
November 23, 2210 UTC+2**

When they finally reached the Presidential Palace, Miss Martian set the Bioship down softly and they headed off. After doing a quick scan of the rooms, Robin located Harjavti, and they crawled through the air vents to reach him.

Robin dropped a thin, flexible camera down the grate. "Harjavti's alone," he whispered to the others. He kicked open the cover and dropped down, Lilith right behind him. Once they were all in the room, Robin walked to Harjavti, who was sitting in a chair and looking out the window, an empty look on his face.

Harjavti glanced up once Robin was close. "Where's my daughter?" he asked unemotionally. "Where's Psimon?"

"Forget him," Robin told Harjavti. "Let's get you out of here."

Suddenly, doors burst open and uniformed men rushed in, each equipped with strange weapons that glowed red. The leader finally stepped into the room.

"Well, well," he said in accented English. "American heroes. Here to assassinate the President. Such a shame we arrived too late to stop them."

 _Those are Apokoliptan weapons,_ Superboy informed them through the psychic link.

 _Which they'll use to kill Harjavti, we get blamed, and Queen Bee gets to rule Qurac,_ Robin deduced. _Form up around the president,_ he commanded.

 _I found Psimon_ , Miss Martian declared and she took off for him.

 _Miss Martian!_ Lilith exclaimed.

 _Wait!_ Robin called.

 _I'll get her,_ Superboy offered, stepping forward.

 _No,_ Robin thought. _The mission is Harjavti._ Superboy hesitated before nodding.

Lilith backed up so she was standing directly in front of the desk, her legs shoulder width apart and her hands on her hips, ready. She glanced back and saw Robin, Kid Flash, and Superboy had formed a circle around the president.

 _Now!_ Robin directed, and Lilith jumped into action.

She reached the men before they had even moved and with quick slashing movements, she had cut the straps of the weapons with her knifes. With nothing left to defend themselves, the four she had disarmed turned to run.

"I don't think so," Lilith smirked. She stashed her knives and did a flip over the four, landing lightly in front of them. She stood and raised an eyebrow as the men glanced at each other uncertainly. When they didn't move, Lilith sighed and in quick succession, knocked them out.

Lilith turned back and saw the others had made quick work of the soldiers.

"I think the bad guys are getting worse at fighting," Lilith said, shaking her head in disappointment. "Where's the challenge?"

Robin laughed quietly and nodded. From another door, a young woman peeked out and then rushed to Harjavti.

"Thank you for saving my father," she said, turning to them. "We will take care of him now." The Team nodded their heads and then took off to find Miss Martian.

 _M'gann, we're coming_ , Superboy thought, pulling ahead of the group. Just as Lilith crossed the threshold of another room, the room began to spin, a throbbing ache started in her temple, and she groaned internally and thought, _Again?_

* * *

Lilith slowly came to and groaned. "Another mission, another knock out," she mumbled, getting to her feet unsteadily and stumbled slightly into Robin. He reached out to steady her and then kept his hand on her arm.

"And there's the headache," Kid Flash moaned.

"Psimon?" Robin asked, rubbing his head and Lilith glanced up to see Miss Martian kneeling beside Superboy.

"He brain blasted you," Miss Martian said. "I stopped him." She glanced over her shoulder and Lilith gasped when she saw what Miss Martian's gaze was settled on.

Psimon lay on top of broken chairs and glass, completely immobile and gazing ahead blankly. Lilith rushed to his side.

"M'gann," Lilith whispered, sounding horrified. "What did you do?"

"Does it matter?" Superboy asked roughly. "He's taken care of."

"There are other ways to do that," Lilith exclaimed, turning around. "He's catatonic! He might never recover."

"Why do you care?" Superboy yelled at her. "He's the enemy!"

Lilith's throat tightened. "Nobody deserves this," she managed to get out, her voice shaky. She walked away, shivering. Robin couldn't see her eyes, but he had a feeling she was reliving a memory she would have rather kept buried.

* * *

The next morning, Lilith looked down over the front porch of the Presidential Palace. Below them, Queen Bee was glaring at the guards.

"What do you mean the President won't see me?" she demanded. "He invited me."

"Not of my free will," Harjavti called from the balcony. "No! But now that I am free of your minion thrall, the Quraci people will never suffer your tyrannical rule!" he declared. Below him, his people cheered.

"Mark me, Harjavti," Queen Bee said, pointing a finger at him as guards approached her to escort her away, "you will suffer for this. Quarc _will_ be mine."

Lilith stepped away from the window and joined Robin, Kid Flash, and Superboy with Harjavti and his daughter. The door opened and Queen Bee entered.

"Sorry you had to lie to everyone like that," Robin said, stepping forward. "But I couldn't think of any other way to convince the public Queen Bee was behind this." Behind him, Lilith stared at Miss Martian, tapping her lip absentmindedly in thought.

"Dude," Kid Flash said, lightly punching Robin's shoulder. "Saving a country. Pretty big win for your first turn as leader," he said.

"Yeah, thanks," Robin said, though Lilith could tell he was still uncomfortable with the role.

That afternoon, they went back to the Logan's before they left.

On the T.V., they saw Bruce Wayne shaking Harjavit's hand. "And I assure you," Wayne was saying, "the Wayne Foundation is here to do whatever it can to help you and your people rebuild Qurac."

"Gee," Kid Flash said as Marie turned off the T.V. "Bruce Wayne sure got here fast," he said. Lilith and Robin stared at him in disbelief. "Almost like he kknew—"

Robin elbowed him in the gut and disguised it as he put his arms behind his head.

"Don't you have a souvenir to collect or something?" Lilith asked, looking at him pointedly.

"Hello, Megan!" Kid Flash exclaimed, hitting his forehead with the heel of his hand. He walked to the T.V. and picked up a tape. "Something you'd like to tell us?" Kid Flash asked, waving the tape in front of Miss Martian's face.

"Kid Flash!" Lilith hissed, leaning forward in her chair and slapping his side.

Miss Martian sighed. "Growing up on Mars was not a happy time for me," she started. "But I started watching the broadcast my uncle sent from Earth to teach us about our sister planet. And when I saw _Hello, Megan_ , something just clicked," she said. "Maybe it was similarities in our names. Maybe it was the way all of Megan's problems could be solved in twenty-two minutes. All I know for sure is Megan helped me smile through a lonely childhood." Lilith furrowed her eyebrows at that but didn't say anything. "So when I came to Earth and had to adopt a human form, I chose you. Well, Megan," she said.

Lilith saw Kid Flash and Robin glanced at each other. "Which begs the question," Robin started, sitting up from his lounging position against the back of the chair and leaning forward on his knees, "what do you really look like?"

"Robin," Lilith said sharply under her breath.

"It's okay, Lilith," Miss Martian assured. "I've got nothing to hide anymore." Lilith looked up startled at that but nodded.

Miss Martian stood and Lilith watched as her hair receded and her freckles disappeared.

"Bald M'gann," Kid Flash said slowly. "Still hot," he whispered to the others and Lilith shoved him off his perch on the arm of her chair.

Superboy stood and walked to her, taking her hands. "You know you don't have to put on a mask for me," he said.

"I do it for me," Miss Martian argued, pulling away and going back to Megan. "This is who I am inside," she said. "Please don't be mad," she said quietly, turning to Marie.

"Mad?" Marie said softly. "I'm honored," she said. "M'gann, you saved my son. He says he's your blood brother now," she added with a small smile. "And I agree. You're family."

Miss Martian rushed forward and wrapped her arms around Marie. "Thank you," Miss Martian said softly. "You can't know what that means to me."

"Why don't you say goodbye to Garfield before you leave," Marie suggested as she pulled away. Miss Martian nodded and walked down the hall.

"We do feel awful for everything we've put you through," Lilith said once Miss Martian had disappeared.

Marie smiled softly. "The good you did for us, this country, far outweighs any inconvenience."

When Miss Martian came back, she looked like she had seen a ghost.

"M'gann?" Superboy asked. "Are you okay?"

"Fine, fine," Miss Martian said. "Let's just go."

Lilith glanced back at the boys and they nodded and stood. Lilith followed behind Miss Martian and bit the inside of her cheek; something was up.

* * *

 **A/N: I hope you enjoyed. Let me know what you think! And I might just post another chapter tomorrow. You know, to make up for last week.**


	26. Agendas

**A/N: I own nothing you recognize.**

 **Thank you for all the comments, follows, and favorites. They really make my day.**

 **So, I've had questions about the little bits I've dropped regarding Lilith's past, such as a woman named Irene and a place called the Academy. That will all be explained in depth when I post my sequel, but in the mean time: Irene was the woman who oversaw Lilith and other girls like her, and the Academy was where she grew up and learned her skills.**

 **But, I do have a question for my readers:**

 **My sequel will take place between Season 1 and Season 2, and I am unsure if I want to have the story start one or two years after the end of Season 1.**

 **So my question is: do I start the sequel one or two years after the end of Season 1?**

* * *

 **Mount Justice  
November 25, 1025 EST**

"Gobble, gobble!"

"Wally, are you imitating a turkey or the noises you make when you stuff your face?" Lilith asked from her spot in the kitchen, glancing at the speedster and raising an eyebrow.

He clutched his chest and stumbled. "You wound me, babe," he said. Lilith rolled her eyes as Wally went back to snacking on the cranberries. "Aw, I love Thanksgiving!" Wally declared. He went back for the cranberries when the wooden spoon levitated and smacked his hand. "Ow!"

"Those are for dinner, Wally," M'gann said with a laugh.

" _Yelsrap, egas, yramesor, dna emyht!_ " Zatanna called from the kitchen island and Lilith glanced up from the cake batter to watch herbs magicked themselves to the large turkey. "There," Zatanna said. "Seasoned to perfection and ready for the oven."

"Wally, I thought you were eating with your family," M'gann said as Lilith poured the batter into a pan.

"Oh, yeah!" Wally said. "Dad will kill me if I'm late." He snagged another handful of cranberries and dashed away. "See ya!" he called over his shoulder.

"Wally!" M'gann called exasperatedly after him.

Lilith heard sniffling and she turned to see Zatanna wiping her eyes.

"Oh, it's nothing," Zatanna insisted. "It's the onions." Lilith approached slowly and placed a hand on Zatanna's shoulder. Zatanna glanced around the kitchen. "These are all the things I used to cook for…It's my first Thanksgiving without my dad."

Zatanna bowed her head and Lilith put her arms around the magician. Zatanna looked up, surprised, but managed a small smile nonetheless. "Thanks," she said weakly.

Lilith offered her a smile. "I can't say I know how you feel," she said softly. "But I'm told I'm an excellent listener if you ever need an ear."

Zatanna chuckled and returned the hug. "Thanks," she said.

From the couches, Lilith heard Conner and Wolf let out a gasp and whimper, respectively. She glanced over and saw Conner clutching his head before he relaxed.

Lilith looked Wolf in the eyes. _What is it?_ she asked him. A high-pitched humming began to sound in Lilith's head and she winced. The noise didn't mean anything to Wolf, and Lilith wasn't able to pick up anything else, though she could have sworn she had heard someone speaking.

Conner and Wolf stood and headed to the hanger.

"Conner?" M'gann questioned.

"Figure you don't want _my_ help in the kitchen," Conner responded carelessly. "Remember the last time?"

"Uh, yeah," M'gann said, sounding less than thrilled at the memory. "But—"

"Just walking Wolf," Conner waved off. "No big."

Lilith hesitated before hurrying after him. "Conner, wait up," she called.

"Lilith, really," Conner sighed. "I'll be back."

"No, it's not that I'm worried about," Lilith said once she had caught up with him. "When you and Wolf winced, I communicated with Wolf." Conner's eyes widened and Lilith quickly added, "I only heard a high-pitched ring. But I also thought I heard someone speaking," she added.

Conner's jaw clenched. "You must have been hearing things," he admonished tensely.

Lilith raised an eyebrow. "Don't tell me what I did or did not hear," she said. "Something's up. What is it?"

For a second they were caught in a staring eye contest, one that Lilith won, easily.

Conner sighed. "Someone made contact by using a frequency that only Superman—and animals, apparently—can hear. They wanted me to meet them."

Lilith looked at him skeptically. "And this mystery person didn't leave a name?" she asked.

"No," Conner said slowly. Lilith gave him a pointed look and he sighed in defeat. "Okay, alright," he said. "It was Luthor."

Lilith's eyes widened. "You're not seriously going to meet him, are you?" she asked. When Conner didn't respond, she said, "Fine. I'm going with you."

"No!" Conner exclaimed loudly. Lilith looked taken aback and Conner let out a breath. "He asked me to meet him alone," he said.

Lilith pursed her lips. "Fine," she said. "Just be safe."

Conner gave her a small smile and nodded. "I'll be fine," he assured before Sphere morphed into a bike and Conner and Wolf disappeared.

Lilith let out a breath before going back to the kitchen where M'gann and Zatanna were just finishing cleaning up.

"Sorry I missed the fun part," Lilith said with a small laugh.

"Oh, that's okay," M'gann said. "Um, did Conner say where he was going?"

Lilith had anticipated M'gann asking her that and the lie flowed off her tongue easily. "He's taking Wolf and Sphere around Happy Harbor," she said.

M'gann nodded and put the last things away.

"Well, I'm sorry I can't stay," Lilith said as she started making her way to the zeta-tubes. "I promised Lisa I'd be home early to help with dinner."

"Have a nice dinner!" M'gann said with a smile.

"Thanks," Lilith said with her own smile. "You, too. Bye, Zatanna," she added with a wave to the dark-haired girl.

"Bye, Lilith," Zatanna waved.

When Naomi reached the house, she spotted Claire's signature bright yellow VW Bug. She sighed and pursed her lips before unlocking the front door and calling, "I'm home!"

"In the kitchen, darling!" Lisa called. Naomi walked to the kitchen to find Lisa, David, and surprisingly, James in hard at work. Claire sat at the kitchen counter between the kitchen and the dining room, twirling a lock of white-blonde hair around her finger. Her icy-blue eyes seemed to sparkle maliciously when they landed on Naomi.

"Naomi!" Claire said brightly, hopping up from her stool and bouncing over to the girl in question. "I was waiting for you to get back!"

Naomi immediately grew suspiciously. "Oh?" she asked skeptically.

Claire giggled and gave Naomi a small, good-natured nudge. "Of course, silly!" she exclaimed. "I was just thinking the other day that we never hang out together."

"Oh?" Naomi said, raising an eyebrow.

"Your parents told me you were gone and they weren't sure when you'd get back, so they let me stay!" Claire explained with a smile. Though the smile was friendly, something lingered in the back of her eyes, something that made Naomi's warning bells go off.

"Actually, I was just coming by to pick up some stuff," Naomi said, inching toward the stairs.

Claire pouted and James said, "Aw, you can go out with Claire for a few hours, can't you?"

"No," Naomi said firmly, her foot now on the bottom step. "I promised some friends I'd spend the day with them." Over James's shoulders, Naomi caught Lisa and David's eyes and told them silently, _I'm sorry I'm ducking out on you, but something feels wrong and I can't stay if Claire stays._ Both of them shared a look with each other and then glanced back at her. No words were spoken and no gestures were made, but Naomi understood they were letting her go.

Before anyone could say anything, Naomi ran up the stairs and quickly stuffed her uniform and weapons in her usual cross-body bag. She added a hoodie and her wallet before putting her sunglasses back on her nose and shrugging into her slim leather jacket.

Naomi hurried downstairs and waved over her shoulder before dashing out of the front door. As soon as she was clear of her house, she took off to the zeta tube in a sprint.

* * *

In a dark room, a secure telephone line rang. The looming figure seated in a throne-like chair waved his hand dismissively and his right-hand man reached forward to answer the phone.

"Lord, she got away," a feminine voice crackled from the other end.

The man sitting in the throne growled and the man holding the phone quickly demanded, "How?"

"She left the house quickly. I followed as soon as I could, but I had to make sure I didn't cause suspicion," the voice defended. "By the time I was able to leave the house, she had vanished."

The leader sighed and his gopher said, "The Lord is displeased but he understands the importance of keeping your cover. He wishes you luck on your mission and hopes you succeed."

"Thank you, Lord!" the voice exclaimed. "I will not disappoint you!"

The man hung up the phone and turned to his Lord. "Don't worry, Master," he said. "We will get Agent 94-23 back."

* * *

 **A/N: Hope you enjoyed my early update.**

 **Anyway, any questions for me, feel free to ask and I'll do my best to answer them when I update.**

 **And remember, tell me if you think the sequel should start one or two years after Season 1!**


	27. Insecurity

**A/N: I own nothing you recognize.**

 **Thank you for all the comments, favorites, and follows. They really make my day :)**

* * *

 **Gotham City  
December 5, 1656 EST**

The doorbell rang and Naomi heard Lisa answer it.

"Why, Alfred," Lisa said. "What a pleasant surprise. Would you like to come in?"

"No, thank you, Mrs. Scott," Alfred said graciously. "Bruce has asked me to pick up Miss Naomi."

Naomi appeared at Lisa's shoulder, her bag slung across her body and her sunglasses on her nose. "Ready when you are," she said brightly.

Alfred chuckled. "Right this way, Miss Naomi. Have a good day, Mrs. Scott."

"You too, Alfred," Lisa said warmly. Naomi pecked Lisa on the cheek before hurrying after Alfred.

A short ride later, they were pulling up in front of the Wayne Manor.

"Master Bruce is waiting in the _main room_ ," Alfred hinted at Naomi as she climbed out of the car.

"Thanks!" Naomi said, flashing Alfred a smile before turning and hurrying up the steps.

Lilith reached the obscure sitting room that was never used and played a few out-of-tune notes on the ancient piano. The sound of gears turning reached Lilith's ears and she walked to the bookshelves as one case slid from view. Lilith stepped into the rickety elevator and calmly rode down, not jumping at the stalls or clanking.

When the elevator touched the bottom, Lilith stepped out to find Bruce dressed but with his mask off.

"What can I do for you?" Lilith asked as she stepped beside his chair.

"It's more of a head's up," Batman said. "Green Arrow has convinced Red Arrow to join the Team for a while before he becomes a full member of the League." For a moment, Lilith was silent. "I know your thoughts on the situation," Batman added. "But I believe he is still on his hunt for the mole."

"Which only confirms my suspicion," Lilith said. "Why hasn't he dropped it? It's like he's trying to prove something that doesn't exist. What does he gain from that?"

"I don't know," Batman admitted. "But I was hoping you wouldn't do anything rash."

"Rash? Me?" Lilith asked with a smirk. "I'm hurt, Bruce, I really am."

"Alright," Batman said, a ghost of a smile crossing his lips.

"You must have plans," Lilith guessed as Batman turned back to the multiple screens in front of him. "You and Bird Brain doing more Dynamic Duo bonding?" she asked.

"Something like that," Batman said as he stood.

Lilith sighed. "Just be careful."

Batman's lips quirked ever-so-slightly. "When am I not?"

A small smile crossed Lilith's lips. "I'm serious," she said softly. "You're the first father figure I ever had. I don't think I could live if you were killed."

Batman turned to her and opened his arms. Lilith stepped forward and allowed her small frame to be swallowed by Batman's larger one. "I'll be careful," he whispered against the top of her head. "I promise."

After a moment, Lilith finally pulled away. "I'd better let you go," she said. "I'll use the zeta here to get to Mount Justice."

Batman gave Lilith a small smile before leaning down and kissing the top of her head. "I'll see you in a few days."

"Aw, is Lilith finally confessing how much she likes me?"

Lilith rolled her eyes but smiled at the raven-haired boy who was making his way toward her. "Whatever helps you sleep at night, Bird Brain." She turned back to Batman and gave him a quick hug before turning to the zeta-tube.

"What, no hug for me?" Robin called after her.

"If you survive, maybe!" Lilith called over the voice stating her name and designation. She waved to the two as she vanished in a flash of gold.

Lilith arrived in the transporter room to see the Team plus Green and Red Arrow.

"Roy," Lilith greeted. "I heard you were joining."

"Yeah!" Wally exclaimed. "Isn't it great?"

"Excellent," Lilith said with a small smile.

Behind her, the automated voice announced, "Recognized: Artemis, B-0-8." Lilith turned to the zeta-beam-tubes and gave a small sigh of sympathy for Artemis. The blonde was not going to be happy.

"Artemis," Green Arrow called. "Just in time. Look who's agreed to join the Team." Red Arrow turned to face Artemis.

"Finally!" Wally added happily.

"Sure," Artemis said. "Team's needed a _real_ archer," she added sarcastically.

"Okay, people, listen up," Green Arrow said, all business now. He stepped forward and pulled up a holographic keyboard. "The Dynamic Duo's on a case in Gotham, but Batman gave me a head's up."

An image of Sportsmaster popped on screen, and Lilith glanced around, noting Artemis's widened eyes.

"Sportsmaster was spotted coming from Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport," Green Arrow continued, and footage showed a man in a green jacket with blond hair getting off a moving sidewalk in the airport, dated the day before.

"In full costume?" Zatanna asked. "Nervy."

"In street clothes," Green Arrow corrected, sounding slightly exasperated. "Facial recognition software picked up the I.D. Find out what he's up to," he instructed, turning to the Team.

"All of us?" Conner asked incredulously. "Seems like overkill for a shadow job."

"Perhaps a small squad," Red Tornado agreed. "Miss Martian's camouflage abilities seem idea."

"Thought the sidekicks—sorry, _ex_ -sidekicks," Green Arrow corrected quickly, "could suit up on this. Aqualad, Kid Flash, Red Arrow, and Lilith."

"Good," Conner said. "Stakeouts make me crazy."

"We could use the night off," M'gann said, glancing at Conner.

"I want in," Artemis spoke up. "With M'gann and Robin out, no one's logged more hours piloting the Bioship," she said, narrowing her eyes in a silent challenge.

"I'm sure Lilith has acquired more hours, seeing as she's been here longer," Red Arrow cut in, narrowing his eyes.

"She can pilot," Lilith quickly jumped in. "I don't have some weird need to drive."

"Artemis," Green Arrow said softly, "are you sure?"

"Absolutely."

Green Arrow nodded. "Then it's settled. We should be ready to cover it all: land, air, and water. Wally, Lilith, get your bikes. Kaldur and Roy can cover water, and Artemis can fly above."

The five nodded their heads and took off for the hanger. Lilith and Kid Flash rolled their bikes into the back of the Bioship and then they took off.

Lilith saw Aqualad and Red Arrow stay with the bikes to strap them in, and Kid Flash had taken a seat. She decided to take that time to change from her civilian clothes to something more logical for high-speed bike riding.

When she emerged, she heard Artemis say hesitantly, "And, Wally? It sounded find out loud." Lilith smirked; she knew they'd get over their hatred for each other.

Lilith made a big show of coughing. "Oh, I'm sorry," she rasped as she took her seat. "My throat has a tickle." Neither Artemis nor Kid Flash said anything, but Lilith caught their small smiles.

Aqualad and Red Arrow emerged from the back.

"Bikes are strapped in," Aqualad informed.

"Great," Lilith said, glancing back at him with a smile. "Thanks."

Aqualad didn't say anything but he smiled back and Lilith quickly ducked her head and turned to face the front. She stared at her lap and let the small talk wash over her. She joined in every once and a while, but for the most part, Lilith allowed herself to daze off.

A couple hours later, they were flying over the Orleans parish. Artemis touched down in the middle of some trees to allow the others to get off.

"We have confirmation Sportsmaster is along the waterfront," Red Arrow informed. "Lilith, Kid Flash, wait at these coordinates. Lilith glanced at the GPS unit in her bike and saw a small red dot appear. "Aqualad, wait in the water. I'll be right behind you. Artemis, wait in the Bioship."

Lilith glanced apologetically at Artemis, who shrugged it off, before starting her motorcycle and speeding away with Kid Flash.

They reached the coordinates in a matter of minutes. A few moments later, Lilith heard Red Arrow in the comms. "Target's heading north," he informed. "Pursue, but maintain a discreet distance. And that goes double for you, Artemis," Red Arrow added. "Sportsmaster's proven adept at spotting Martian camouflaging when in motion."

Soon enough, Lilith spotted Sportsmaster speed by in a motorboat. She glanced at Kid Flash and then put on her helmet. Both kicked their bikes into motion and took after him.

"He stopped," Red Arrow spoke. "Hold your positions." Lilith slowed the motorbike as she heard Red Arrow add, "I'm moving in for a closer look."

Lilith narrowed her eyes; he had sounded a bit cock-sure of himself as he had said that.

"So what?" Kid Flash muttered. "We wait here?"

Lilith sighed. "Looks like."

After several minutes, the sound of a motor engine revving reached Lilith's ear and she sat up straighter. Kid Flash seemed to have heard it too because he kicked his bike into action, leaving Lilith no choice but to follow.

The pair reached a clearing and Lilith's eyes widened when she saw Cheshire hovering over Red Arrow with her lips pressed to his. Kid Flash raced forward as Cheshire straightened and knocked her back.

"And a sai is just a sai," Lilith heard Kid Flash say as she reached him. "And quite the souvenir, by the way," he added.

"Artemis, tracer arrow on Sportsmaster, now!" Red Arrow ordered, still on the ground.

Artemis whipped around and notched an arrow. "Ahh! He's out of range," she said, lowering her bow and looking back at Red Arrow.

"On it," Lilith said as Red Arrow shoved Artemis aside and shouted "Move!" Lilith turned to glare at him but he was already firing an arrow. Lilith watched as it sailed through the air and protected a tracer onto the back of Sportersmaster boat.

"You're abandoning?" Artemis exclaimed incredulously. Lilith looked up in time to see Red Arrow dashing for the water.

"I'm prioritizing!" Red Arrow yelled back before he hopped on his jet ski and zooming away.

"Oh, that's got to sting." Lilith glanced back to see Cheshire approach. Kid Flash raised the sai and Lilith pulled out a gun. "He makes the shot you were afraid to even try." Artemis glared at Cheshire and let an arrow go.

Cheshire easily dodged it and Lilith began firing stunners. Kid Flash used the distraction to race forward and knock Cheshire back again. Cheshire snarled and lunged at Lilith, who managed to duck the first blow as she stashed her gun and began to gracefully maneuver around Cheshire's punches.

"What's the matter, little girl?" Cheshire growled. "Can't take a punch?"

Lilith scoffed. "More like you can't land one."

For several moments they continued their little dance until finally Cheshire gave up. Lilith stayed on guard, but before she could react, Cheshire threw explosives at her feet. Knowing she couldn't outrun them, Lilith settled on turning her back on them and curling in on herself to cover her ears as best she could. The blast caused Lilith to lurch forward and she managed to catch herself before she landed on her face. She turned around to see Cheshire had started to throw disks at Kid Flash.

"Leave him alone!" Artemis yelled, racing toward Cheshire's abandoned sword and pulling it out of the ground before swinging at Cheshire. The Shadow easily ducked and kicked Artemis back.

Kid Flash raced to her side and Lilith watched as Cheshire took off. After a moment's hesitation, Lilith took after her.

For about a mile, Lilith soundlessly followed Cheshire. It wasn't until they came to a clearing that Lilith realized that maybe it wasn't such a good idea to follow a Shadow alone.

Before she could backtrack, Cheshire called out, "I have a friend of yours, _cọp cái_."

Lilith's eyes widened at the name and froze.

"You didn't really think I'd let you go, did you?" The voice that came from the shadows was the same one Lilith had heard when she had been dragged off into the marsh when the Team had battled the Injustice League.

"What does He want now?" Lilith growled. "My answer hasn't changed."

A tinkling laugh came from the fringe of the trees. "He's a persistent one, as you would know," the girl said lightly. "He just wants to make sure that when you do change your mind, He's there to offer you your spot back at the Academy."

Lilith scoffed. "Like I would go back there. Become His lightning bolt, his Striker."

"But it's your home," the voice reasoned.

"That's no home," Lilith argued. "That's a prison."

"Whatever you say, dear," the Striker said in a sing-song voice.

"Wait…" Lilith whipped around and let out a string of curses that would have made any multi-lingual sailor blush. "You were a distraction!" she cried out before turning around to search in vain for Cheshire, but there was no sign of her.

"Of course, darling," the figure laughed. "And now, like your friend, I'll vanish like the Cheshire cat."

" _Keparat!_ " Lilith yelled to no one in particular before turning on her heel and sprinting back the way she had come. She felt a slight sting at the back of her neck but she shook it off as a bug bite.

She reached the clearing just as Kid Flash grasped Artemis by the upper arms and said, "Oh, hey, there's the guys."

Lilith appeared from the trees.

"Where did you go?" Aqualad asked.

"I followed Cheshire while these two were busy staring into each other's eyes," Lilith said dryly.

"I'm guessing you couldn't keep on her tail," Red Arrow said with a scowl.

Lilith turned to glare at him. "No, I totally sacked her and left her back in the clearing," she said sarcastically, her hands on her hips.

Kid Flash cleared his throat uncertainly. "So, uh, we threw the fight as ordered, _after_ Artemis planted the tracer."

"At least she was being somewhat productive," Red Arrow said with a scowl.

"And just when I thought we could get along!" Lilith snapped, stepping toward Red Arrow in a way that made it clear she wanted to let her anger out on something…or someone. She was stopped short when Aqualad placed a hand on her shoulder and Lilith quickly pulled away and stared at the ground.

"Cheshire's heading north," Artemis informed as she stepped through some trees, holding up the tracking device.

"Sportsmaster was headed south," Red Arrow pointed out. "Kinda like this mission," he added snidely. Lilith made to punch him but Aqualad once again stopped her short.

"Maybe he'll double back. Maybe she will," Artemis said, stepping forward to join the small circle.

"Either way, they'll rendezvous and we'll find them," Kid Flash said optimistically.

"We had better," Aqualad said darkly. "Sportsmaster acquired an attaché case. We need to learn what it contained. If you had stayed aboard the Bioship—"

"I saw Cheshire sneaking up on him," Artemis said immediately, jabbing a finger toward Red Arrow.

"Then you radio a warning," Red Arrow growled.

"And if she found you by hacking our frequency?" Artemis challenged.

Aqualad sighed. "It is true," he said. "We have come to rely on M'gann's telepathy over our radios."

"So let's stop looking to place blame and start looking for Cheshire," Kid Flash spoke up, taking charge of the situation. Lilith snorted; that was something she had never expected to see.

"Here," Artemis said, lifting the tracker. "Since clearly I can't be trusted," she stated. She tossed it to Red Arrow, who easily caught it. " _You_ track her."

Kid Flash glanced between Artemis and Red Arrow before snatching the tracker from Red Arrow's hand. "Artemis…" Kid Flash started, offering the tracker to her.

Artemis sighed. "It's fine," she said. "I'll follow in the Bioship." She turned and disappeared into the trees.

"Go, Kid, Lilith," Aqualad instructed. "Arrow and I will return to the river, and we will _all_ follow as originally planned."

Lilith huffed but nodded and grabbed her helmet from the dirt and placed it over her head. She followed Kid Flash and they walked to their bikes.

"Where to first?" Lilith asked as they started speeding away.

"Who knows," Kid Flash said with a sigh.

After what felt like hours of pointless driving, Red Arrow's voice crackled on the comms. "Arrow to Aqualad. Located Cheshire and Sportsmaster. Rendezvous at my coordinates."

"Acknowledged," Aqualad's voice came. "Sending Kid and Lilith ahead."

"On it," Lilith said as the coordinates appeared on the GPS. She revved her engine and picked up speed.

They reached the cite in minutes, and Kid Flash ran ahead and knocked Cheshire down. While Kid Flash went to help Artemis, Lilith began scouting.

A flash of red light came from a window and Lilith began making her way there. She peered into the room and pulled out a slim camera from her belt. She managed to snap a few pictures before Artemis burst through the door and yelled, "Freeze!" Lilith ground her teeth in frustration but knew it was too late to do anything.

One of Ivo's monkey's chittered and he said, "Don't be absurd. With what we've created tonight, I could—"

He was cut off by Klarion, who whined, "Why waste such power on her? Do as she says. Freeze!" A flash of red light obscured Lilith's vision, but when it cleared, ice figures of Klarion, Ivo, the Brain, and his ape were standing where the originals had. Behind her, Lilith caught the sound of ice shattering and she could only assume Klarion's spell had worked on Cheshire and Sportsmaster too.

With a frustrated scream, Lilith lashed out and ended up punching a hole in the glass window. She shook off the glass that had stuck to her gloves and turned to the others as Aqualad arrived. One sweeping glance and Aqualad knew he wouldn't be able to report any good news.

* * *

 **Mount Justice  
December 6, 0321 EST**

"Let me be clear." Lilith glanced warily at Aqualad, who's eyes were narrowed. "We failed. Though the Injustice League is in custody, their allies still scheme. And we have learned _nothing_ of their plans." Lilith didn't bother trying to correct him; yes, she had managed to take some pictures of the scene, but they were inconclusive.

"Gee," Red Arrow said sarcastically, crossing his arms and turning to glare at Artemis. "I wonder why."

"Hey!" Artemis exclaimed, turning to glare at him. " _Who_ found out Sportsmaster was working for Brain, Klarion, and Ivo?" she demanded.

"Yeah, great intel," Red Arrow commended derisively. "Except Ivo's been in Belle Reve the whole time! And the gurads just checked—it's the real Ivo, not a robot."

"You know, I'm getting pretty tired of you dumping on her," Kid Flash spoke up, standing in front of Artemis. Red Arrow held up a tracer. "Her tracer? So?" Kid Flash asked. "Cheshire ditched it."

"No," Red Arrow said. "Artemis ditched _that_ —" He gestured to a tracer Aqualad was holding—"to send _us_ on a wild goose chase. She put _this_ one on Cheshire," he said, holding up the tracer he held.

Kid Flash's eyes widened. "Artemis?" he asked quietly, turning to look at her with a look on his face that told Lilith he was hoping Red Arrow was wrong. When she didn't respond, Kid Flash said, "Are you _that_ freaked out about Arrow joining the Team you had to prove yourself by bringing down the bad guys solo?" he asked, his eyes narrowing. " _Please_ tell me I'm wrong," he said.

Artemis opened her mouth to respond but then closed it again and looked down.

"Well," Kid Flash said, "nice going. What you proved is that you're insecure and selfish." He threw down the sai he had collected from Cheshire and said, "Keep the sai." He grabbed the tracer from Red Arrow. " _This_ is the right souvenir for the mission." Kid Flash turned and left.

"So how will you betray us next time?" Red Arrow said loudly, stepping toward Artemis.

"Enough," Aqualad said firmly, putting a hand on Red Arrow's shoulder. "If making a mistake was a betrayal we would _all_ be traitors," he said. "I must report to Batman. The rest of you…" He turned to the Team. "Get some sleep."

Lilith turned immediately and went to find Kid Flash, which wasn't difficult.

"Hey," she said softly as she entered the souvenir room. He glanced up at her and then turned back to the shelves. "Wally, you can't be too hard on her."

"Why?" Wally demanded. "She betrayed the Team."

"How?" Lilith asked gently, moving to stand beside him.

Wally sighed. "Maybe she didn't," he said quietly. "But that doesn't explain her behavior."

Lilith was silent for a moment. "It's not my place to say," she said, "but her actions will become clear soon enough."

Wally glanced at her. "What do you mean?" he asked.

Lilith shook her head. "Not my place," she repeated. She stood on her tiptoes and kissed his cheek chastely. "Good-night, Wally," she said and turned to leave.

* * *

 **A/N: Hope you enjoyed!**

 **And let me know if you think the sequel should start one or two years after Season One.**


	28. Promises

**A/N: I own nothing you recognize.**

 **I thought, since tomorrow is Christmas (and it's possibly already Christmas for some of you), I would post another chapter. It's extremely short, but I think you might enjoy it...**

* * *

 **Mount Justice  
December 12, 1536 EST**

"I win again." Lilith was looking down smugly at Kaldur, who was on his back with a circle around his torso declaring: AQUALAD: STAUS: FAIL.

Kaldur smiled as Lilith offered him a hand. When he got to his feet, they were separated by their joined hands. For a long moment, Lilith couldn't pull her gaze from Kaldur's pale green eyes.

After what felt like a lifetime, Lilith cleared her throat and tore her eyes away from Kaldur's. She took a step back and tugged nervously on the hem of her tank top.

Kaldur sighed. "Look…"

Lilith looked up and said, "Before you say anything, I should probably tell you something." Kaldur nodded his head to show he was listening and Lilith took a deep breath. "You've probably noticed I've been kinda skirting around you, and you have a right to know. I haven't exactly known how to act around you, because what I've been feeling is really new to me, and for the longest time I've been doing my best to ignore that feeling. I grew up learning that love was a weakness, something not to be dabbled in." Her eyes widened and she quickly corrected, "Not that I'm in love with you! But I think I've been…developing _feelings_ for you…and I don't know what to do."

"Simple," Kaldur said gently. "Let them guide you."

The corner of Lilith's lip twitched upward and she glanced up at him. "You sounded so sappy just then."

Kaldur chuckled and rubbed his neck. "As someone who knows about waiting too long, I would not advise it."

"Then why have you waited?" Lilith whispered, taking a tiny step closer to Kaldur and looking up at him through her eyelashes.

"You talk of a haunted past, and I sensed there was a reason you were holding back," Kaldur said.

Lilith nodded and hesitantly reached out to grab Kaldur's hand. "I'm still not sure what to do," she whispered.

Kaldur gently squeezed Lilith's hand reassuringly. "Now that I know for sure you feel the same for me as I you, I am willing to wait until you are certain of what you want."

Lilith looked up at him. "Promise?" she asked quietly.

Kaldur nodded and leaned down to kiss her forehead. "Promise," he whispered against her skin.

* * *

 **A/N: Hope you enjoyed!**

 **So, it's (almost) official! Kaldur/Lilith (Kalith?). I will say, at first, I never gave much thought to Kaldur as a romantic interest. But as I began asking people who they wanted to see Lilith with, Kaldur was definitely tops and I realized, he's a pretty great guy.**

 **Fun fact: This wasn't in the original draft of Demons. I decided it should be added when I started to rewrite the chapter that follows the episode Usual Suspects. And I kinda thought it would be more...elegant as a super short scene, opposed to some drawn-out love confession.**

 **Let me know what you think! And also, tell me if you want the sequel to start one or two years after Season One (I can't really continue writing the sequel until I know, since there is one very important aspect that would completely change how I'm writing this). So your opinion is very important!**


	29. Performance

**A/N: I own nothing you recognize.**

 **Sorry for the inconsistent updates recently. I've been so occupied with writing the sequel, which I have ended up starting over because I thought of a better way to start it. So...I'm not sure how soon that story will be posted, especially since we're so close to the end! Thank you for all the support, as well as the follows, favorites, and comments.**

* * *

 **Gotham City  
December 20, 1946 EST**

"Lilith."

Naomi started at the voice in her ear. "Robin," she said in surprise. "What's up?"

"I'm calling a Team meeting," he responded, sounding grim. "Meet at the Cave ASAP."

"I'll leave now," Naomi said. "Lilith out."

Naomi tapped the comm and grabbed her uniform and headed to the zeta.

When she stepped in the transporter room, Robin was wearing a hole in the floor.

"Are you alright?" she asked as she approached him.

"Fine, fine," Robin said, sounding distracted.

"Hey," Lilith said softly. She reached out to touch Robin's shoulder and he stopped mid-stride. "You can talk to me," she said once he had turned to face her.

Robin just nodded and Lilith sighed but let it go; she was familiar with not exactly wanting to spill her guts.

"I'll be back," she said before hurrying to her Cave bedroom to change. When she reached in the mission room, the rest of the Team had arrived.

"Advanced weapons tech has been stolen at manufacturing plants throughout Europe," Robin started immediately once Lilith had stopped beside him. "Each theft coincides with tour stops made by the Haly Circus. Batman's sending us undercover to catch the thieves."

Roy approached Behind Robin and said lightly, "This clown car have room for one more?"

"Uh, we've got this covered," Robin said, turning to look at Roy.

Roy leaned down and whispered sharply, "You've got the mission covered. But who's covering the fo-three potential mole suspects you're bringing along?" Lilith's eyes widened fractionally when she caught Roy's almost-slip.

Robin just glanced away and Lilith opened her mouth to snap at Roy for harping on the subject, but Robin put a hand on Lilith's arm.

Roy snorted. "Look at the Tigress," he taunted, uncharacteristically. "Declawed and tamed."

Lilith's eyes flashed behind her mask and she wretched her arm out of Robin's grasp. Even Roy was surprised at the left hook that sent him staggering back a few steps.

"And I thought we could get along," Lilith hissed, a glower on her face so dark it would have made Batman flinch. "But you're just an obsessed little boy who couldn't move on and _let it go_."

There was a heavy pause before Robin finally said slowly, "Um, we'll need covers. And an act."

"How do we get in the show?" M'gann asked, trying to distract everyone from the shocking scene that had just transpired.

"I've got that covered," Robin said.

"And what about costumes?" Artemis asked.

"Ooh, I can do those!" M'gann chirped. She morphed her clothes into a fitted white vest with red fastens and red curls along the top. Lilith wrinkled her nose at the bottoms that looked more like underwear than shorts, but the thing she hated the most was the mask. The design itself was fine: white with red decalls, but it was the fact that they would expose her eyes.

"We can call ourselves the Daring Dangers," Robin said thoughtfully. "And for the act…"

"You and M'gann can be the acrobats," Lilith immediately stepped in. Everyone glanced at her but she ignored their stares. "Artemis and Roy can be archers. And Conner can be the muscles."

"What about you?" Artemis asked.

"I'll be…your manager or something," Lilith shrugged.

"Fine," Robin agreed. He glanced at his watch and added, "We need to get going. Meet back here in five." Lilith turned on her heel and stormed to her Cave bedroom. She grabbed a duffle bag and packed clothes, tucked an extra utility belt in the side, cushioned extra guns between her clothes, folded an extra knife in an oil cloth, and finally threw in a few packs of colored contacts. She zipped the bag shut and headed to the Bioship.

* * *

 **Bruges  
December 22, 2008 CET**

Daphne Danger, the Daring Dangers' manager and sister, stood on the sidelines as the lights dimmed and spotlights started sweeping the stage.

"Madams e monsieures," Haly called off stage "Ladies and gentlemen." There was an explosion at the center of the ring, and Haly stepped out of the smoke. "Welcome to the Haly International Traveling Circus," he called. "Where the world of deceivery is your oyster." He pointed above him with his cane. "And these are our latest pearls—the Daring Dangers!"

The spotlight traveled up the pole and landed on Dan Danger, standing on a narrow platform. As a bar came up to him, he grabbed it and followed its natural swing. At its peak, he released it and tucked into a roll, where he flew past Dawn Danger, who was doing the same thing as Dan. They came out of the tuck and grabbed onto the trapeze and followed its curve. Below them, Diane and Dane Danger drew three arrows apiece. And last but not least, Dean Danger hefted lime green barrels above him head. He tossed them in the air, and Diane and Dane released their arrows. Dan and Dawn released their trapeze lines again and passed through the barrels. As they exited the barrels, they lengthened their bodies so they were parallel to the ground, and the arrows made a crisscross pattern in the air, the sparkles trailing after the arrows and leaving a pattern in their wake.

"You'll never see another trapeze act like this, folks!" Haly announced to the cheering crowd. "And all performed without a net."

Dawn hooked her legs around the bar so she was hanging upside down, reaching forward to grab Dan's hand as he released his own trapeze in a flip.

Daphne's eyes widened as she watched Dan's path before it was completely. He came up short, missing Dawn's hands by several inches, and he fell toward the ground, Miss Martian's cry of _Robin!_ echoing in her head.

All around them, the crowd gasped and screamed.

 _Don't blow our cover!_ Robin demanded as he fell.

 _But saving your life's okay?_ Superboy asked, tossing another barrel in the air to lift Robin up again. Robin reached up to grab Miss Martian's hands, but he started to fall before he could. Lilith noticed Miss Martian's eyes glow, and she sighed in relief, knowing Robin was safe…for now. The crowd cheered.

 _What did I just say?_ Robin asked, sounding exasperated.

 _The crowd couldn't see me use telekinesis from below,_ Miss Martian argued. _Besides,_ she added sheepishly, _I've been using it all night._ She swung Dan back to the platform and landed beside him a moment later, and they both turned to wave at the crowd. _I'm not exactly the acrobat you are._

 _Yeah, neither am I right now_ , Robin admitted. _I think I caught that twenty-four-hour bug that's been going around the circus. But,_ he thought with a sigh, _the show must go on_.

"Put your hands together for the Daring Dangers!" Haly exclaimed, holding out his hand to the Dangers, who stood safely on the ground and waved at the crowd.

 _Didn't think you'd make it through_ , Miss Martian thought.

 _Neither did I,_ Robin thought, sounding weak. _Help me backstage._

Daphne ran forward, her eyes wide behind the black-rimmed glasses she wore that magnified large blue eyes. Dan went to lean on her.

"Ray," Daphne heard the next act say, "have you seen my other torch?"

"Here," Ray the Roustabout said, and Daphne tilted her head at the convenience of Ray finding it. "You dropped it outside the train."

"Thanks. You're a life saver," the firebreather said in relief.

"Break a leg," Ray said, going to pat him on the back, but Daphne noticed Ray brushed his hand over his shoulder rather than patting him.

After Haly announced the firebreather, he came backstage to be confronted by the twins the Dangers had replaced.

"Haly, what's the deal," one of them demanded, "giving the top slot to those Danger kids?" He gestured behind him and Daphne glanced up.

"That's _our_ slot," his brother agrued.

" _Was_ your slot," Haly countered, and Daphne nudged Dan, "until you missed that performance in Paris."

"Carlo was sick," one of them exclaimed. "He's better now."

"Plus those Dangers are a sham," the other, Carlo, put in. "They say they're brothers and sisters, they don't even look alike!"

Haly pushed past them. "Ah, you just don't like the competition," he said. Haly was stopped by a white-haired man in a dark blue suit. "Of, for cryin' out loud," Haly said. "Not you again. We're in the middle of a show!"

"Then we'll talk after," the man said. "But we _will_ talk. Another city last week, another tech firm robbed, another _stop on your tour_. If I prove you're responsible, I _will_ shut you down."

Haly narrowed his eyes. "I've got three minutes to gather props and get back to the center ring," he said. He walked past the man and disappeared. Daphne watched as he approached.

"Faraday," he introduced, pulling out a badge. "Interpol. New act?" he asked.

"Yes," Daphne said. "Just joined the tour."

"Probably clears you," Faraday said. "But don't get too comfortable," he added, pocketing his badge. "Haly's going down for this."

Lilith sighed in relief when he left to talk to the other acts.

 _We going out tonight?_ she asked.

 _Yes,_ Robin confirmed, his eyes narrowed.

* * *

 _If Interpol's already on this,_ Superboy grumbled that night, _why are_ we _bothering?_

 _Because Batman said so_ , Robin thought shortly. _Why?_ he snapped. _You got something better to do?_ Lilith, who stood behind Robin, put a hand on his shoulder and gave it a small squeeze. She glanced across the way and saw Superboy glaring at Robin, Miss Martian floating behind him.

 _How do we know the thieves will hit here?_ Artemis asked from her spot on the ground, peering through binoculars.

 _There_ are _more obvious targets,_ Red Arrow pointed out.

 _And Faraday will have them covered,_ Robin argued. _But I've analyzed the tech already stolen, and the pattern suggests this is the place,_ he thought, rubbing his eyes.

 _How are you feeling?_ Lilith asked, looking down at him worriedly.

 _Lousy, actually,_ Robin admitted. _But I'll manage._ He turned around to give Lilith a small smile, and though she smiled back, she wasn't convinced.

 _Contact,_ Superboy suddenly informed. _Northeast quadrant_. Lilith stood to find the said-contact. She watched as the figure effortlessly jumped the wire fence. _It looks like we know why Carlo missed a performance,_ Superboy concluded.

 _Could be Carlo,_ Robin agreed. _Could be his brother,_ he countered. _Keep an open mind. And move in._ He leapt off the roof and Lilith followed without a second thought.

Once they landed, Miss Martian, Red Arrow, and Artemis joined them.

 _Did you see where he went?_ Robin asked. Superboy landed in front of them with a thud, and Liltih narrowed her eyes at him. Something seemed…off.

 _The warehouse,_ Superboy told them. They immediately took off, Lilith glancing at Superboy as she went.

When they entered said warehouse, Robin brought their attention to a second level, and Lilith nodded and followed his lead.

Lilith watched as the man broke open a wooden crate with a crowbar and pulled out a piece of electronics.

Robin gave his signature cackle and when the man turned around, he said, "Caught red-handed. Red-faced too, I'll bet."

"Acrobatics won't get you out of this," Artemis deadpanned as she and Red Arrow aimed their arrows.

The man didn't respond, simply produced a flare and brought it to his mouth.

"Look out!" Superboy exclaimed as a stream of fire shot toward them. Lilith jumped to the side and she glanced back to see Superboy pause to take the brunt of the fire. Red Arrow turned to aim an arrow but he paused.

"Those crates are full of live ammo!" Red Arrow exclaimed. "Move!" No sooner had he spoke than an explosion blew out all the glass of the warehouse.

Lilith felt herself get thrown back by the force of the blast and she landed on her back. On instinct, she curled on her side in the fetal position to keep her vital organs protected. She felt the others fall beside her and when a metal siding shifted, Lilith glanced up.

"That guy's dead meat," Superboy growled.

Lilith had her arm around Miss Martian and Robin yelled, "Superboy, no!" Superboy stopped and turned. "You need to get her out," Robin said.

"He's getting away," Superboy argued angrily, pointing behind him.

"And that matters more than Miss M?" Robin demanded.

"The fire's killing her," Lilith snapped, tightening her grip on Miss Martian as her body continued to slaken. She glared at Superboy; what was up with him?

Superboy blinked and the rage seemed to dissipate. "Right," he muttered. "Right." he stepped forward and took Miss Martian from Lilith before turning and hurrying away. Lilith's eyes widened.

"Artemis, Arrow, find the thief," Robin commanded, though he sounded weak. He took a step forward and grunted, falling forward to his knees. Lilith rushed forward and got Robin to his feet.

"Because he matters more than you?" Artemis challenged.

"You're still off your game, pal," Red Arrow argued. "We're getting you out, too."

"I'll follow," Lilith offered and she turned to sprint away before anyone could stop her.

As soon as she got outside, she scaled a building to get to higher ground. She pulled out binoculars and scanned the immediate area.

 _Any sign of him?_ Miss Martian's weak voice drifted through Lilith's head.

Lilith sighed. _No,_ she grumbled. _I'm ready for a pickup._

A moment later, the Bioship materialized for a moment to let Lilith step on before it vanished from sight again.

"How are you feeling, M'gann?" Lilith asked once she was seated.

M'gann gave Lilith a small reassuring smile. "I'll be okay," she said.

Lilith smiled back at the Martian. "Come on," she said. "I'll drive." When M'gann opened her mouth to protest, Lilith shushed her and gently nudged her out of the pilot's chair. "Get some rest," Lilith said. "The Bioship is in good hands."

"Alright," M'gann acquiesced.

"Good Martian," Lilith laughed lightly. M'gann stood and went to sit in Lilith's chair as Lilith took M'gann's spot at the helm.

* * *

The next day, Daphne waved the other Dangers over as Faraday entered the tent.

"Another weapons plant is hit," Faraday said, "and once again, the circus is in town. I don't believe in coincidences."

"I don't care what you _believe_ ," Haly said, glaring at Faraday. "My people are _not_ responsible. I did a bed check last night," he defended. "Every single member of my troupe was asleep in their bunks."

Daphne turned to the other Dangers and bit her lip.

 _Well, we sure weren't,_ Miss Martian thought. _And if he's lying about us…_ She trailed off. Daphne placed a hand on Dan's shoulder and gave it a comforting squeeze. He glanced back at her and managed a small smile.

Later that day, the Dangers gathered in one of their compartments.

 _So two thieves, right?_ Artemis asked. _The firebreather and one of the acrobats._

 _Dressed in identical clothes,_ Miss Martian pointed out as Lilith leaned forward on her knees and laced her fingers together.

 _Maybe not just two,_ Robin thought, gazing at a video clip. _Here's the Madrid security footage._ Lilith watched as a man pried open metal bars over a window with his bare hands. _And now Paris._ This video showed a man tightrope walking across powerlines.

 _Why would they bother to wear the same clothes?_ Lilith pondered, mostly to herself but the others still heard.

 _Don't know_ , Red Arrow thought. _But the Strongman and the Clown, too_ , he concluded, crossing his arms over his chest. _If the entire circus is involved, Haly himself may be the mastermind._

 _You don't know that,_ Robin said immediately, almost desperately.

 _It would explain his lies,_ Miss Martian said softly, looking at Robin.

"I told you to keep an open mind," Dan snapped out loud, glaring at all of them. He turned and exited the compartment, slamming the door behind him.

 _Hello, Megan_ , Miss Martian thought, her eyes wide. _I'll read Haly's mind._

 _I'm not sure we can_ trust _you to do that without tipping him off,_ Red Arrow said, and Lilith gaped at his open use of the word 'trust.'

 _Or maybe you don't trust her period,_ Superboy thought, narrowing his eyes at Red Arrow. He walked up to Red Arrow. _I heard you talking to Robin back at the Cave,_ he informed. _I know you're only here to spy on the four of us._

 _I only said three!_ Red Arrow exclaimed.

 _But you were thinking four,_ Lilith snarled.

Red Arrow huffed. _There's a mole on this team,_ he said, his own eyes narrowing. _And good reason to suspect all of you,_ he added, looking pointedly at each of them. _Both Artemis and Miss Martian have already been caught in lies. Superboy could have been programmed by Cadmus without even knowing it. And you just appeared out of nowhere._

 _You said you trusted Batman,_ Lilith said with a glare. _That should be good enough for you._

 _Unfortunately, Batman isn't infallible,_ Red Arrow countered.

Lilith sprang to her feet as Superboy growled, _Or maybe I could take your head off without even trying._

 _O-kay,_ Miss Martian thought, standing and putting a hand on Lilith's and Superboy's shoulders. _Let's all take a time out. Before we do something we regret,_ she added firmly.

 _Speak for yourself,_ Superboy muttered as he let Miss Martian pull him out of the compartment.

"None of us are perfect," Artemis said once the door closed. She stood and stared at Red Arrow. "But each of us would give our lives for this Team," she said. "So try to keep an open mind," she parroted before turning and leaving as well.

"You going to deck me again?" Red Arrow snapped when Lilith didn't make to move.

"I wish. But no," she said, sounding like she wanted nothing more. "I wanted to tell you that you're taking this mole thing way too seriously and ask you why."

Red Arrow glared at her. "Just because I'm not an official member of this little Junior Justice League doesn't mean I want it destroyed by the bad guys out there," he growled.

"None of us want that," Lilith snapped. "It's been proven again and again that _all_ of us would fight to our last breaths for not just this Team, but for the League as well." She paused and when she spoke again, Red Arrow was surprised by her soft tone. "Why would I want to destroy my family?" she asked, staring Red Arrow straight in the eyes. "Because that's how I see this Team; as my second family, which is more family than I ever expected I'd have."

"What do you mean?" Red Arrow asked quietly.

Lilith shook her head. "Just keep that in mind, Roy," she said before turning and walking away.

As Lilith walked through the train, she glanced out a window and saw Robin staring at a poster.

"Hey," she said once she had made her way to him. Robin whirled around and quickly rubbed the palm of his hand across his eyes.

"The wind," he muttered. Lilith didn't say anything, just stepped forward and pressed her shoulder next to his.

"I'm sorry," she whispered as she leaned her head on his shoulder.

"For what?" Robin asked, sounding surprised though he put his arm around Lilith's shoulder and leaned his head on hers.

"That you lost your family," Lilith said. She felt Robin stiffen. "I was around when Batman took you in," she explained quietly. "I know your story."

Robin relaxed slightly and sighed. "My first job with Batman was taking down the man who killed them," he whispered.

"I know," Lilith said, lifting her head so she could look at him. He had grown a tad; when the Team had first started, Lilith had been barely taller. Now, Robin's eyes were even with Lilith's. "Come on," she said, stepping away and looping her arm through his. "It's cold out and you're just getting over a cold."

"Yes, _Mom_ ," Robin grumbled, but Lilith glanced at him and saw he was grinning. Lilith nudged him in the side with her elbow, a small smile spreading on her lips.

They got back to the tent as Haly stepped through the curtains and said, "Pack it up. The train leaves for Geneva in two hours."

Lilith was helping Robin load one of the boxcars when Lilith heard Ray ask Miss Martian, "Need a hand?"

"I-I'm good, thanks," Dawn stammered. "Maybe one of the others could use some help?" she suggested, pointing to two of the acts who were sitting on the ground, looking worse-for-wear. "A lot of them seem to have the flu."

"Yeah, it's going around," Ray said with a shrug.

"All aboard!" Haly said loudly. "Everyone, now."

"Someone's in a hurry," Red Arrow said from behind Lilith, and she turned to see him standing behind her and Robin. They quickly climbed on and made their way to their compartment.

"You look better," Diane noted once everyone was there.

"I feel better," Dan agreed, and he glanced down at Miss Martian. "I'm sorry, M'—Dawn," he said. "I hope you didn't catch it from me."

"I feel so silly," Dawn said from her spot lying on the bed. "Who knew a Martian could be vulnerable to a human virus?"

"Uh, H.G. Wells?" Dan asked.

Daphne narrowed her eyes. "I don't think Martians _can_ get a human virus," she said.

"Then how do you explain her?" Dean demanded.

"We might not be dealing with a virus," Daphne said, crossing her arms across her chest.

"Look, when did you first feel sick?" Dan asked.

"Just after boarding the train," Dawn said. "It came on suddenly."

"Same with me the other night," Dan said, comparing notes. "I remember Ray rubbed my head for good luck right before we went on." Daphne pursed her lips.

"Ray?" Dean asked. "That Roustabout? He touched her before we boarded. Guy must be a walking petri dish."

"Yeah," Dan mumbled, distracted. "Yeah, maybe." He turned and left the compartment, stumbling into the hall.

"Dan," Daphne heard Haly say. "You look refreshed."

"Thanks," Dan said, and Daphne peeked her head out the door. "Uh, Jack, how long has Ray worked for you?" Dan asked.

Haly considered it for a moment. "I picked him up at the start of the European tour," he said. "Poor lad's down with the same flu as the rest of them," he commented.

"We'll check on him," Diane said, stepping into the hall. "It's the least we can do."

"If you insist," Haly called as Diane, Dean, and Dane headed in the opposite direction.

"You should stay in bed," Dan said when he saw Dawn standing behind Daphne.

"As a friend of mine once said," Dawn said with a small smile, "I'll manage." She turned and followed the other three. Dan waved at Haly, and he took off after them, Daphne following him.

"Last I saw of Ray, he looked fine," she muttered to Dan. They reached the door the others had entered, and Dan was cut off from answering.

"Guess he wasn't _that_ sick," Lilith heard Superboy mutter, and she saw him and Artemis standing in front of an empty cot.

Red Arrow turned to a box labeled _Elephant Food_. "Does this circus have an elephant I don't know about?" he asked rhetorically.

"Not on foreign tours," Robin said slowly.

Red Arrow opened the crate. "Empty," he stated.

"No, wait," Lilith said, ducking beneath Red Arrow's arm and swiping her finger across the bottom. "Ash," she declared, lifting her finger for the others to see the black smudge on the pad of her forefinger.

"From the warehouse in Bruges," Robin concluded.

"Uh, guys?" Artemis asked, drawing their attention back to the cot. She lifted the corner of the mattress and pulled out a mask. Lilith gasped. "I found Ray," Artemis said.

"Split up," Robin commanded. "Search the whole train."

Lilith dashed off to the left. Thankfully, the hallways were empty so she didn't feel the need to be careful of how she looked.

A few minutes later, Lilith heard Robin's voice in her ear.

"Dawn, come in," he said.

"Uh, Dan?" Miss Martian asked, sounding confused.

"I tried to reach you _the other way_ ," Robin said.

Miss Martian sighed. "I think the flu's knocked out _my other way_ ," she said.

"That clinches it," Robin muttered. "Dane, Dean, Diane, Daphne, come in," he said. "We're chasing someone who's stolen Dawn's _act_. Her whole shtick, if you catch my drift."

"I got him," Superboy called a moment later. "But he's on to me. Exiting the dining car now." After a pause, he said, "He's gone topside."

Lilith raced to the end of the car she was in and wretched open the door. She hoisted herself onto the roof of the car and saw Superboy ahead of her. She began making her way toward him.

She watched as a clown made a hand gesture and Superboy was knocked off the train. Lilith's hand flashed to the waistband of her dress pants to send a grapple for Superboy to catch, but she gasped and her eyes widened as she watched him turn in midair and fly alongside the train.

He landed behind the man and said, "That won't work on me, Clown."

"That's no clown," Robin called as he joined Superboy and the clown on the train roof. Lilith jumped across the gap between the two cars and landed beside Robin. "He's the Parasite, the guy who once stole Superman's powers."

"As if you kids are who you claim to be," Parasite goaded with a smirk. "Please." He inhaled sharply and his painted face disappeared to be replaced with a noseless man with purple skin.

Lilith wrinkled her nose. "I think I preferred the clown," she said. "And I hate clowns."

"Stay out of his reach," Robin called to Superboy, who had growled and started forward. "There's no flu going around," he said. "The weakness comes when he makes visible contact and feeds off the powers and abilities of others."

"I have been a bit of a glutton today," Parasite admitted. "Chowed down on the skills of nearly every loser in this troupe." He glanced at Lilith. "Though I didn't realize you were anyone special." Lilith tightened the grip on her gun. "But, oh my, the _piéce de résistance_ was Dawn Danger, or whatever her real name is," Parasite crooned. Lilith glanced around and saw Miss Martian join them, and Red Arrow and Artemis appeared on the other side. "Thought I'd munch on her trapeze skills. Imagine my surprise when she tasted like Martian Manhunter instead. Mmm," he said, as though imagining the taste of a good dessert. "She made a lovely appetizer," he continued. "But guess who I want for my entrée?" He raised his hand and his eyes glowed green. Superboy was yanked forward with a yell, and Parasite caught him by the jaw. "Mmm," Parasite said again. "Now that's the full-body Kryptonian flavor I love!"

"Full-body?" Lilith mumbled to herself, narrowing her eyes in confusion.

"Everyone, stay whelmed," Robin called out. "Subdue, but keep your distance."

Artemis and Red Arrow drew their bows, but Parasite used the heat vision Lilith could have sworn Superboy didn't possess and incinerated their bows. Lilith clipped in her kryptonite bullets and fired at his unprotected back. Parasite stumbled forward and groaned at the impact, but turned around and aimed his eyes at her gun. Lilith quickly tossed it as far as she could, and it exploded when Parasite's newly acquired heat vision hit it.

"You know, I almost never say this," Parasite said, "but I'm sated." He released Superboy and he fell to the roof of the train car with a groan. "Hate to eat and run," he said and he jumped off the train, a case Liltih hadn't noticed until just then floating behind him. Robin launched himself at the case, and once he had secured his footing, jumped at Parasite. "Sorry," Parasite said, smaking Robin back. "No hitchhikers."

Robin hit the train and Lilith jumped forward as he slid off the top. She managed to grab his wrist but his downward momentum caused her to slide forward on the train. Lilith gritted her teeth in frustration and tried pulling Robin up, but the speed of the train made it difficult for Robin to get above the drag. Red Arrow and Artemis dashed forward and with the combined effort of the three of them, they were able to drag Robin up.

Lilith helped Robin to his feet as Miss Martian turned around and shouted, "Conner!" She ran forward as he stood. "Are you alright?" she asked.

"Fine, fine," Superboy said.

"You're drained," Robin called as he and the others began walking toward them. "Parasite took more power than you have," he said. "Heat vision?" he pointed out.

"I have the genetic potential for it," Superboy explained, but Lilith narrowed her eyes. "Must have been enough for him," Superboy said. Robin growled in frustration and began walking to the end of the car. "Go," Superboy told Miss Martian. "I'll manage." Lilith let Miss Martian go down before her and she lowered herself down after. Lilith stopped and peeked above the car and saw Superboy reach under his open vest and rip something off his skin. She quickly lowered herself and entered the car before he turned around.

When they went back to their compartment, they took turns changing from their costumes to their uniforms. Once they were all back, Robin held something up.

"It's not a complete debacle," he said. "I picked Parasite's pocket, got this flash drive," he explained with a satisfied smile. He plugged it into his glove and a holographic screen appeared.

Lilith raised a tired eyebrow at the four cartoonish faces of Robin, which were red and growling in frustration until they broke past the encryption. The faces turned green and their expressions became one of over-zealous joy. Robin glanced up and smirked when he saw Lilith's face, and she just shook her head.

Robin began glancing through the contents. "Looks like Parasite's working for Intergang," he said. "Everything he's stolen, they're all pieces of something." Robin narrowed his eyes. "They're putting together a weapon that generates…"

Lilith's eyes widened as she saw the image that appeared on the screen. "Black holes?" she said in disbelief.

"Oh, come on," Red Arrow said, sounding incredulous. "To build that you need a particle accelerator."

"The boson collider in Geneva," Lilith said slowly. "The circus's next stop."

"But now the Parasite can fly," Red Arrow realized. "He's got a big head start on us."

"Sorry," Miss Martian said, looking at the floor. Lilith raised an eyebrow when she caught Superboy glancing away.

"Not your fault," Robin said firmly. "But this thing could wipe out entire cities. We need to hurry." Robin stood.

" _You and I_ need to hurry," Red Arrow corrected, reaching up and taking his back-up bow down from the shelf. "Without powers, the others will hold us back," he said.

"Hey," Artemis said sharply. "You're not the only one with a back-up bow." She raised her mini-crossbow as evidence.

"If you think I'm staying behind, you're crazy," Lilith said with a glare as she clipped in a new gun to the holster at her thigh and added another clip of kryptonite pellets to her belt.

She glanced up sharply when a loud thud echoed through the compartment and she saw Superboy had punched a dent in the wall. "And my powers are back," he growled.

"How?" Robin demanded.

"I'm still—" Miss Martian started.

"I guess Kryptonians recover faster than humans or Martians," Superboy said nonchalantly, and Lilith caught him rubbing a spot on his upper arm.

"Don't even _think_ about leaving me behind," Miss Martian concluded, putting her hands on her waist. Lilith saw Red Arrow's jaw tighten, but she knew there was no way he could say no now.

* * *

 **Geneva  
December 24, 0037 CET**

When they reached the collider, Lilith saw security guards groaning on the ground.

Robin knelt by one and placed his hand on the man's chest. "Trail of destruction," he said. "This way." He stood and ran through the open doors and Lilith rolled her eyes but followed. _The open doors should have been enough of a clue._

The Team crouched behind horizontal pipes, and through the gap between two gaps, Robin fed his camera. "We need to take him down," he said as they watched the holographic screen for the live feed. Lilith glanced up when she heard Superboy let out a breath, and she watched him nervously as he clenched his fist. "Or at least lure him away so we can safely disengage—"

Robin was cut off when Superboy let out a roar and charged forward.

"No, wait!" Robin hissed, but it was too late. Superboy punched his way through the pipes and he charged Parasite.

"Seconds?" Lilith heard Parasite say. "No, I couldn't." She peeked around the corner in time to see Parasite's eyes glow green and Superboy flew forward. Once he got within range, Superboy punched Parasite, who stumbled back, losing his telepathic grip on Superboy. Parasite quickly recovered and punched Superboy, who landed on the floor a few feet away. Parasite raised his hand again, and Superboy was brought back to him.

"What's wrong with—" Red Arrow began with a growl, notching an arrow.

"Wait," Miss Martian said, putting a hand on Red Arrow's shoulder. "What if in addition to our strengths, Parasite also got our weaknesses?"

"I've already tested that with the kryptonite," Lilith said. "But you're thinking about fire, aren't you?"

Miss Martian nodded. "What if we got him to start a fire? It might be enough to subdue him until we can get him in chains or something."

"Alright, Dangers, come on out." Lilith looked up to see Superboy had been tossed aside. "Only a couple minutes before this baby's done warming up and eats Geneva."

"What do you think?" Miss Martian asked and Lilith, Robin, and Artemis nodded.

"Big risk to take on a theory," Red Arrow cautioned.

"It's the only thing we have," Lilith argued.

"Do it," Robin said. "Go."

Miss Martian skirted around the edge until she was behind Parasite. "What do you have against Geneva, anyway?" she asked loudly, stepping into view.

"Never liked the food," Parasite responded. "But the menu keeps improving," he conceded, rubbing his hands together. He raised a hand and began to pull Miss Martian forward.

"I'm just the appetizer, remember?" she said as she let herself get strung along. Right before Parasite punched her, she broke free of his grasp and ducked beneath his arm. She rolled forward and then glanced back at him with a glare. "Here's the main course." She swung her leg around and knocked Parasite off his feet. She dashed away as Parasite got to his feet.

An arrow whizzed through the air and it hit Parasite square in the chest before red foam encased him. It quickly expanded to nearly cover Parasite's head.

"Foam?" he growled. "You think foam can hold me?" His eyes glowed again and Red Arrow's bow and then Red Arrow himself were pulled toward Parasite. "Or stop me from crushing you with a thought?" Parasite asked lowly as Red Arrow groaned. "Combined Martian and Kryptonian powers here," he said in a sing-song voice. The foam cracked as Parasite freed one of his arms.

"But do any of those powers free you before I sabotage your death thingy?" Robin goaded, his fingers flying across the keys and his attention never wavering.

"This one does," Parasite with a glower, and as he freed his other arm, his eyes glowed red and Robin ducked out of the way.

Artemis landed on the floor and shot an arrow at Parasite as his eyes began to glow again. There was an explosion and Parasite was momentarily lost in the smoke. Distract, Red Arrow fell and landed next to Artemis.

"So clever," Parasite mocked. "Trick me into igniting flammable gas. But you forgot," he said victoriously, "doofus' double dose of…invulnerability." Lilith could tell the fire was starting to get to him. "Fire…can't…touch me," he said, growing weaker.

"Unless you make a meal of my powers," Miss Martian spoke up behind him. Parasite turned. "And get my weaknesses as a side dish," she finished, narrowing her eyes.

Parasite's eyes widened in realization. "No," he gasped. "No!" he groaned and collapsed.

"Aw, poor baby," Miss Martian scorned. "Something you ate?" she asked, raising an eyebrow and Lilith's eyes widened at her tone; it seemed greatly out of character.

The fire had started to die down and Parasite began to stir. Immediately, Lilith pulled out her gun and aimed it straight at Parasite's head.

"Don't even think about moving," she growled, taking a step closer. Parasite eyed Lilith warily.

"Lilith," someone said softly behind her. Lilith didn't waver, keeping her eyes locked on Parasite and her gun trained to his head. "Lilith." The voice was slightly sharper this time and she began lowering her gun.

Parasite's hand shot out and with his Martian telekinesis caught Lilith by the throat. Lilith dropped her gun in surprise and began gasping for air.

"Looks like the Tigress has some bite left in her," Parasite growled as he brought Lilith closer to him. Lilith was pulled to her knees and she stopped struggling when she was called Tigress, the second time she had heard it in less than a week, by two people who shouldn't have known her old pet name.

"What has He given Intergang?" Lilith rasped out quietly.

Parasite laughed. "Enough."

"We'll take it from here." The new voice startled Parasite and he lost hold of Lilith. She doubled over as she panted for breath and Robin hurried over to help her to her feet. "Thanks for the tip, by the way," Faraday said. "Definitely helps to prep the inhibitor collar in advance."

"Glad to be of service," Robin said.

As the men dragged Parasite away, Robin turned to Lilith. "You okay?" he asked quietly. Lilith rubbed her neck and nodded.

"Wow," Lilith heard Artemis say off to the side. "He deigns to touch the hand of a suspected traitor." Lilith glanced up to see Red Arrow was on his feet again.

"Mind open," Red Arrow said. "I guess I never really saw you in the thick of it before," he admitted. Miss Martian walked over with Superboy leaning on her, and Robin and Lilith approached. "Superboy's got a hot head," Red Arrow said, "but I know I'm not one to talk." He glanced at Superboy and Miss Martian. "And Lilith, you're right; I do need to let it go. Nice left, by the way." Lilith gave him a tight smile and a small nod. "You could each have betrayed us here," Red Arrow said. "You didn't. I'm sorry I doubted any of you. There is no mole," he declared with a smile.

Lilith's eyes narrowed fractionally, but she quickly smoothed her expression and nudged him with her elbow. "Glad you finally came around," she joked and the others laughed.

Robin convinced them to do one more show before they left, and the others eventually agreed. Daphne Danger stood in the sidelines and watched with a smile on her face.

* * *

"How goes it?" the leader's right-hand man asked into the phone.

"I've been over to her house but the parents told me she was on a school trip," the feminine voice said. "But as soon as she gets back…"

"You know your orders, Agent," the man growled.

"But, Lord, how do you know she'll want to return?" the voice demanded. "And if she proves to be unwilling to come back, then she must be taken care of!"

"You forget to whom you speak," the leader couldn't help but scowl.

"Of course, not, my Lord," the voice said quickly. "But—"

"You are not to lay a hand on the girl!" the second-in-command snapped. "Our Lord has plans for her."

The man sitting in the throne-like chain smiled, and in the dim light, it appeared quite sinister.

* * *

 **A/N: Hope you enjoyed!**

 **So, we're gettin' pretty close to the end...I hope I can get the sequel posted soon after I finish this, but no promises, since I had to start over. But stay tuned!**


	30. Usual Suspects

**A/N: I own nothing you recognize.**

 **My posting schedule has been way off! I've been so occupied with college applications, and trying to find inspiration to write the sequel, and rewriting this one! But don't worry, I won't be posting the rewrite of _Demons_ until I finish at least the sequel, which maaaay be a while...I've been finding it hard to find inspiration for the time between the seasons. But I'm working my butt off on that, so hopefully I'll be able to produce something soon.**

 **As always, thank you for the follows, favorites, and comments (though for a while there I couldn't read them on the cite).**

* * *

 **Washington, D.C.  
December 30, 0855 EST**

Lilith pulled her winter coat tighter to her body as she hurried up the steps of the Hall of Justice.

"Can you believe it?" she heard Wally gush behind her. "The newest members of the League!"

"A few more years and that will be us," Kaldur said, nodding. He glanced down at Lilith, who walked beside him, and gave her a small nudge with his elbow. She glanced up at him and smiled.

They were met by Batman in the library. "You can watch the news here," he said, and behind him, Lilith saw Cat Grant on the screen. "We need to be heading out," he said, glancing at the entire Justice League behind him.

"Batman," Lilith said, breaking away from the Team and approaching her first father. "Can I talk to you for a second?"

He nodded and pulled back as the rest of the League filed past him. "What is it?" he asked lowly.

Lilith glanced around before saying softly, "Back in Geneva, Roy said he believed there was no mole on the Team, but he gave in too easily." Lilith knew that if she had talked to anyone else, they would have sighed and said she was hard to please. But she knew Batman would listen. "I know that it's great he no longer suspects anyone," Lilith went on, "but he changed his mind so quickly," she said. "All it took was one mission for him to see something that I've been telling him the entire time."

Batman studied Lilith for a moment. "I understand where you're coming from," he said. "But it's too late to do anything. We're inducting him today."

"I know, I know," Lilith said quickly. "And I know that even if I had managed to get word to you before, it wouldn't have changed anything. I just thought you'd want to hear what I had to say."

"I always want to know what you're thinking, Naomi," Batman said quietly. "You have a natural intuition that the others don't listen to enough." Lilith opened her mouth but Batman cut her off with a slight smile. "I know _I_ don't listen to you enough," he said. "But it is difficult for me," he explained. "I've relied on my own instincts for years. And boys…" He trailed off.

Lilith laughed. "I know," she said with a smile. "Boys will be boys." Batman smiled a little and nodded. "I'll let you go," Lilith said. "Thank you for listening."

"I always will," Batman said gently. Lilith smiled and Batman turned to exit.

Lilith joined the rest of the Team, plus Rocket, Icon's protégé, in front of the screen. Superman stood at a podium in front of the Hall.

"The Justice League was formed for two reasons," he said. "First, as an acknowledgement that no single individual, no matter how powerful, can solve all the world's problems alone."

"Who wrote his speech?" Lilith muttered under her breath. It sounded kinda cheesy to her.

"And second," Superman continued," to uphold the values truth, liberty, and justice." His serious expression softened slightly as he joked, "That last one's even in the name." Cameras clicked, flashes went off, and the crowd laughed. Superman turned to the five people standing behind him. "These five heroes have sworn to uphold those values."

"You are watching live coverage of the Justice League's induction of its five newest members," she whispered to the camera. "Looks like the entire League has shown up to welcome the new blood," she said as the camera moved down the line. "Everyone from Batman to Captain Marvel."

"I'm glad they didn't kick Billy out," Wally said as Lilith watched Captain Marvel nervously rub his neck. Wally took a bite out of his apple. "And I love the fact that there's a ten-year-old on the League!" he exclaimed through a mouthful of apple.

"Say it, don't spray it," Lilith laughed as she made a big show of wiping her cheek of apple juice. Kaldur smiled down at her; he was glad she was getting even more comfortable about being relaxed around the Team.

"There is?" Rocket asked. Lilith whacked Wally's head.

"Ow!" he exclaimed.

"Way to keep a secret, genius," Robin said, glaring at Wally.

"Hey, she's on the Team now, right?" Wally said defensively. He took another bite out of his apple and Lilith shook her head.

"Superman is now handing out official League membership cards, starting with Doctor Fate," Grant said as they watched Superman hand a card to Doctor Fate. Zatanna looked away from the screen and Robin stepped up and put a consoling hand on her shoulder. "The Atom," Grant continued, and Lilith smiled at the sight of a tiny Atom standing on Plastic Man's shoulder and struggling to hold up the card that was larger than him. "Plastic Man." Lilith wrinkled her nose at that; based on his criminal records, she was surprised the League inducted him. "And Icon."

"You know, I was the one to convinced Icon to become a hero in the first place," Rocket grumbled, glaring at the screen and putting her hands on her waist. "I should be outside celebrating with him, not hidden away in here."

"Welcome to our world," Kaldur said with an amused smile. He turned back to the screen and Lilith bit her lip to keep from laughing at the gaze Rocket was giving him.

"Well, I suppose there's an upside, too," Rocket said. Kaldur glanced at Rocket and then at Lilith, who laughed quietly and shrugged. Lilith leaned to the side and bumped Kaldur's arm with her shoulder. He chuckled and smiled.

"Finally, Green Arrow welcomes his former protégé, Speedy, now known as Red Arrow, to this roster of heroes," Grant concluded as they watched Green and Red Arrow shake hands.

"Way to go, Roy!" Wally cheered, pumping his fist.

"At last, he has his wish," Kaldur said.

"The first of us to make it," Robin said, somewhat jealously, turning to look at the original members of the Team. "No one will call him a sidekick anymore."

"Wait," Rocket spoke up. "Since when is being a sidekick a bad thing?" she asked. "You sidekicks were my inspiration," she said with a smile.

Lilith glanced at Kaldur before looking over at Wally and Robin.

"Well, see, six months ago it…" Robin started, but he was stopped when his wrist started beeping. He stopped in surprise, and Lilith laughed out loud at his face. He consulted the holograph and said, "We've got a mission."

* * *

 **Smokey Mountains  
December 30, 1048 EST**

"A-are you sure it's her? I mean, are you absolutely positive?"

From her spot splitting center with Robin, Lilith glanced back at Artemis and saw she looked tense.

"See for yourself," Robin said, and images appeared on the Bioship's front window. "This is the security footage from the Ashfield Regional Airport," he said. Lilith watched as the security footage paused and zoomed in on the dark-haired young woman climbing into the plane. Another picture of Cheshire came up, and beneath in blocky letters it read: IMAGE MATCH: NGUYEN, JADE. "Facial recognition confirms that's Jade Nguyen," Robin said. "But, you've seen her without her mask," Robin said and Lilith glanced back at him and nudged his foot with hers. He glanced at her and shrugged. "What do you think?" he asked, turning back to Artemis.

"It's Jade," Artemis confirmed, looking away from the screen. "Cheshire," she corrected in a whisper.

"Agreed," Aqualad said. "But focus on what she carries," he prompted. The full-face picture of Cheshire disappeared and the image from the video expanded and moved down so they could get a clear look at the case she carried. "Is that the case you saw in New Orleans? The one that got away?"

"Yes," Artemis said shortly.

"Okay," Rocket spoke up from the back and everyone turned to look at her. "I'm guessing from the mug shot that this Cheshire's the bad guy," she said. "But what's so important about that case?" she asked.

"Remember the Injustice League?" Robin asked as he pulled up a picture of the team in question.

"And their giant evil plants?" Rocket asked. "Uh, yeah!"

"The Team and the League put them in prison," Aqualad explained. "But their allies still scheme. And whatever is in that containment case seems important to their plans."

"We had a chance to grab it in New Orleans," Kid Flash said. "But _someone_ screwed up."

Lilith looked back at Kid Flash and saw him giving Artemis a pointed look and Artemis turned to glare at him.

"Knock it off," Lilith said, raising an eyebrow at Kid Flash. "I thought you had gotten over it."

"Approaching Cheshire's jet," Miss Martian broke in.

Lilith's eyes widened when she saw what appeared before them, and she saw Artemis snap her eyes closed in a grimace.

"Looks like there were no survivors," Miss Martian said heavily. She stopped the ship and opened a hole for them to drop through.

When they reached the crash, they began searching every bit of the site.

"How come homeland security and the NTSB aren't all over this?" Kid Flash asked.

"Cheshire's I.D. was a League alert," Robin said, examining something. "Authorities didn't pick it up and her jet didn't follow its flight plan." He set down the object and looked around at everyone. "It flew under the radar, literally. But the Watchtower auto-tracked the jet and recorded the crash."

"Then why isn't the League here?" Rocket asked.

"Because our Boy Wonder has some mighty hacking skills and arranged to get the alert first," Zatanna said proudly. Lilith rolled her eyes when she saw Robin puff out his chest.

" _And_ because Cheshire and that case represent _our_ unfinished business," Aqualad said.

"Is anyone else noticing a suspicious lack of bodies?" Lilith called out from her perch on the top of a broken wing as Superboy threw the second one aside with a huff.

"Here's one!" Lilith snapped her gaze up to see Cheshire standing on a rock ledge that extended from the cliff. "And it is _stunning_ ," she added.

"I am flora, not fauna. I am foliage, not trees. What am I?" Lilith turned around and saw the Riddler standing at the top of the opposite cliff, Mammoth standing behind him and people armed with Apokoliptan weapons dotting the side of the cliff. Riddler snapped his fingers and orbs similar to the ones back in India sprung up around the lip of the canyon. They glowed green and a shield popped into existence around them. "Hey, come on," Riddler said, sounding like a child trying to convince someone to play with them. "You can get this. I am shrubbery, not grass. What am I? I…"

"Am bush," Lilith growled lowly.

Riddler laughed. "Didn't you think we'd be tipped you were on Cheshire's trail?" he asked incredulously. "We're tired of your interference, kiddies," he said. " _This_ is the end game. Ordered from above and executed by their master strategist, _moi_."

 _Miss Martian, is everyone linked?_ Aqualad growled in Lilith's head.

 _Yes,_ Miss Martian responded, and Lilith saw her own face was set in a glare.

 _Go!_

Immediately, all nine of them sprang into action.

Behind her, Lilith heard Zatanna chant, " _Ekash siht ebolgwons!_ " The wind picked up within their little bubble and flurries began, compromising vision. Lilith tapped the corner of her mask, causing the lenses to instantly filter out the flurries for better vision.

Before Lilith could pull out a gun, a man clad in white rushed her. He swung his Apokoliptan pole, but Lilith easily ducked beneath it and jabbed his sharply in the gut. As he doubled over, she moved around him and gave him a hard shove with her foot, sending him sprawling on the ground before her. When he tried to sit up, Lilith knocked him in the temple with the butt of her gun and quickly tied his hands and feet.

 _Superboy, the pylons_ , Aqualad instructed as Lilith rolled out of the way of another attack.

A red disk went whizzing by Lilith's ear, and she whipped around to find its source. Standing at various points along the cliff, people stood and fired long-distance weapons. Lilith pulled out her own guns and began shooting, easily taking them down.

She heard snow crunch behind her and she whirled around and found another one running at her. She raised her gun and fired. Her stunner caught him in the shoulder but failed to take him down. He did drop his weapon, and Lilith took the time to run forward and whack him across the temple.

 _S.B., you're flying!_ Lilith heard Robin exclaim in her head. She turned and saw Superboy had Mammoth by the scruff of his neck and he was lifting him in the air. Superboy hurled Mammoth into the shiled and Mammoth hit with a _zzit_ and came crashing down. Superboy flew after him and his eyes began to glow red.

"Superboy!" Lilith screamed, dodging another attack and grunting when it took her attention away from Superboy. She kicked the man in the chest, sending him stumbling back, and one of his own caught him with an electrifying red disk. The sound of rock cracking echoed in the canyon and Lilith's eyes widened as she saw Superboy's fists flying, punching Mammoth again and again in the chest and stomach. The force was so great the rock above them began to crack and eventually began to crumble.

Lilith whirled around at the last second and a glowing red disk stopped shy of her chest. Her body was immediately enveloped by an electric charge so great even she couldn't block it out. She screamed out and clenched her eyes shut as she felt her body convulse with the current.

When the pain finally disappeared, Lilith's eyes fluttered open to see Aqualad kneeling over her. She groaned and started to sit up. Aqualad wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled one of her arms over his shoulder.

"It's over," he said as they walked slowly to the Bioship. "You're safe."

* * *

 **Mount Justice  
December 30, 1545 EST**

"Tell me if this sounds familiar." Lilith bit her lip but stared evenly at Batman, refusing to drop her gaze. Around her, she could feel her Teammates shift uncomfortably under Batman's intense stare. "You hacked League systems, disobeyed protocol, and endangered your lives. And your initiative resulted in the capture of three escaped felons, proving Warden Strange runs Belle Reve as a cover for criminal activity." Lilith's lips twitched upward; she knew where this was going. Batman wore a small smile of his own when he said, "Well done." The Team glanced at each other in relief.

"And then there's this," he continued, gesturing to the case which now lay open before them. "Biotechnology integrated with some form of nano-circuitry. Lilith leaned forward and snuck a glimpse at the objects inside. Inside were small circular pieces with three points that pulsed with red light.

Icon picked up one and held it in front of his face, furrowing his eyebrows. "Though I am unfamiliar with this species, the bio component is clearly not of Earth," he said.

Batman snapped the case shut once Icon had replaced his piece. "We'll take it to the Watchtower for further study," he said. He turned and walked to the zeta-tubes, Red Tornado, Black Canary, and Icon following behind.

Rocket ran after her mentor. "Congratulations on the League thing," she said once she had landed beside him. "Sorry I skipped out."

"Yes, well, we both seem to have found teams that suit us," he said as Black Canary walked to stand behind him.

"We should go, too," she said, putting a hand on Icon's shoulder. "Don't want to miss the League's induction party," Black Canary explained. She and Icon walked to the tubes and they disappeared.

"You realize we were set up," Robin said, turning to the Team.

"Yes," Aqualad responded. "Cheshire and Riddler were _tipped_ and ready for us." Lilith frowned at his word choice and her mind began working.

"Not the mole thing again," Artemis groaned, closing her eyes and bringing a hand to her forehead.

"Mole thing?" Rock asked as she walked to them. "Again?" She looked around, waiting for a response.

"We had intel that there was a traitor on the Team," Kid Flash explained.

"Mainly Artemis, M'gann, or me, though toward the end he included Lilith to that list," Superboy put in angrily, pushing his way to the front so he stood in front of Rocket.

"It is more complicated than that," Aqualad soothed, putting a hand on Superboy's shoulder. Superboy knocked Aqualad's hand off and turned away. "But your recent behavior does concern me," Aqualad admitted as Superboy walked away. "Your attack on Mammoth nearly got Artemis killed."

"There something you want to tell us, Conner?" Lilith asked as she eyed Superboy's still-retreating back.

Superboy didn't respond, but Lilith saw him stagger and grip his head as though he was in pain. He straightened, and Lilith could tell by the set of his shoulders that something was up.

"Superboy?" Aqualad asked.

He turned to the Team. "There's something I need to do," he said. "Something I need to tell you." Superboy didn't look at the Team as he began to talk.

"Last month, on Thanksgiving, I went back to Cadmus," he said. "And found a few things out," he added as he risked a glance at the Team. "When I was cloned, only half the DNA was Superman's. The other half was human." At that, Lilith watched as everyone's on-guard-stand dropped in surprise. "That's why I don't have—will _never_ have—full Kryptonian powers."

"You sure?" Robin asked, raising an eyebrow. "'Cause you sure seemed to have them today."

"That's what you were taking off," Lilith muttered. Everyone turned to her but she didn't take her eyes off Superboy.

Superboy nodded and lifted the long-sleeve of his black shirt. "I've been using these," he said, and Lilith saw a black patch in the shape of the shield on his chest. "Shields," he called them. "They suppress my human DNA," he explained. "I get the flight, the heat vision," he said, tugging down the sleeve and looking away. "But I think I also get angry," he added. "Well, angrier," he corrected darkly. "I'm sorry."

"Where did you get those?" Aqualad asked, fixing Superboy with a stern stare.

"From my human father," Superboy said, pulling something the size and shape of a cigar holder out of his pocket.

"Lex Luthor," Lilith said at the same time as Superboy.

"How did you know?" he asked in surprise. Around her, Lilith saw everyone's eyebrows shoot up in surprise.

"It makes sense," Lilith said. "Luthor would be the one most interested in creating something to destroy Superman."

" _Lex Luthor_ …is your dad?" Robin finally managed to choke out.

"He summed me to Santa Prisca," Superboy said.

"Using a frequency only Superman can hear," Lilith guessed. Superboy nodded.

Lilith's attention snapped to Artemis when she groaned, "Ahh, listen…" Lilith glanced at Robin and he met her gaze. He nodded minutely and Lilith turned back to Artemis. "Superboy's not the only one suffering from bad DNA." Artemis bowed her head with a sigh and turned to activate the holographs. She pulled up six pictures, two of the same three people. The full-body image showed three villains: Cheshire, Sportsmaster, and Huntress. At the bottom of each was a head-shot of each, naming them as Jade Nguyen, Lawrence Crock, and Paula Nguyen-Crock.

"My mother is Huntress, an ex-con," Artemis said, turning back to them. "The rest of my family aren't even 'ex.' My dad's Sportsmaster. And he's sending my sister, Cheshire, to fly me to Santa Prisca, too."

"That's why—" Kid Flash said slowly.

"Yeah," Artemis said, cutting him off. "I was _so_ desperate to make sure none of you found out."

"We knew," Robin spoke up, gesturing to himself and Lilith. "Hey, I'm a detective," he said. "But it never mattered," he said with a slight smile. "You aren't your family."

"You're one of us," Lilith added with a soft smile.

Kid Flash walked up and put a hand on Artemis's shoulder. "So, uh, who's next?" he joked.

"I am," Miss Martian said quietly.

Kid Flash's eyes widened and he held up his hands. "I swear I was kidding," he muttered.

"Queen Bee's been blackmailing me," Miss Martian said in a small voice. "She wants me in Santa Prisca too."

"Blackmailing?" Aqualad asked. "How?"

"She knows my true Martian form," Miss Martian said, not meeting their eyes.

"Bald M'gann?" Robin asked, trying to sound light. "Who cares if—"

"No," Lilith said gently, gazing softly at Miss Martian. "Your uncle is green, but you're not, are you?"

Miss Martian shook her head and sighed. Slowly, she began to shift into the White Martian Lilith had researched. M'gann M'orzz towered over them. Her torso had a sunken-in look, causing her hipbones to jut out. Her legs were thin and across her chest was a red X similar to the one she wore in her uniform. Her arms were awkwardly lang and her head was on the smaller side, with slit eyes, a flat nose, and a wide mouth.

Lilith smiled sadly at M'gann, and while Artemis, Kid Flash, Rocket, Zatanna, and Robin all gasped and took a step back, Lilith saw Aqualad stand still and she wondered if like her, he had put the pieces together. Lilith glanced at Superboy and saw he hadn't moved either.

Miss Martian looked around sadly and cross her arms over her chest as if to hide herself. "I realize you would never accept me if you saw what I really am," she said brokenly.

"M'gann," Aqualad said softly, "did we truly seem so shallow?" he aksed.

"I couldn't take a chance," Miss Martian whispered. "Being a White Martian among the Green on Mars…I endured constant rejection. I couldn't face that from—"

"From me?" Superboy spoke up. He walked forward and took one of her two-fingered hands in his own. A silent conversation seemed to pass between them. Miss Martian shifted back to the Green Martian they were accustomed to and she turned to Lilith.

"How did you know?" she asked.

"I suspected," Lilith said with a small smile. "In the stories you told, I could tell there was an underlying hint of hurt. And using League data, I read everything there was to read on Mars, and the segregation was talked about. I just put two and two together."

"So what are we going to do?" Miss Martian asked softly.

"Simple," Lilith said with a smirk. "We play them."

* * *

 **Santa Prisca  
December 30, 1803 ECT**

Lilith watched as her plan unfolded before her eyes. Once Superboy, Miss Martian, and Artemis had shown their true colors, they started the fight. Soon, Artemis's voice rang in their heads.

 _Guys, reinforcement time._

Lilith started forward when the fine hairs on the back of her neck stood on end. At the last second she whirled around and managed to duck the fist that flashed her way. Lilith kicked her foot out and caught the person in the gut, causing them to stumble back. Lilith drew her gun and aimed it at the person, and it took every part of her to not drop it in surprise.

" _You_ ," Lilith hissed. Getting to her feet and wearing black yoga pants and a white shirt with a bright yellow lightning bolt in the center was a very familiar attractive brunette with cold blue eyes.

Claire Stephens, or whatever her real name was, grinned cruelly at Lilith. "Yes, Tigress," she sneered.

"How long have you known?" Lilith demanded lowly.

Claire laughed. "For longer than you know."

Lilith let out a strangled scream and lunged at the Striker. "Stay away from my family!" she snarled. Like any good Striker, Claire was an expert in hand-to-hand combat. But as Lilith and Claire exchanged blows, something flashed in Claire's eyes and Lilith began to press harder.

Finally, she landed a hit that sent Claire stumbling back. Claire fell to her knees and glared up at Lilith.

Lilith slowly stood from her battle stance and held up her hands to show she carried no weapons. "There's something going on," she said slowly. "Something He's telling you?"

"There's no need for Him to tell my anything," Claire spat. "You do plenty by yourself."

Lilith looked at her in surprise. "What have I done? I haven't been at the Academy in six years."

"That doesn't matter!" Claire snapped. "They're still fawning all over you, despite the fact you deserted!"

"Look, if that is the case," Lilith said slowly, "then why are you here on their orders?"

"Who said I was?" Claire said.

Lilith raised a skeptical eyebrow. "So you would turn traitor just to kill someone you were jealous of?"

"They wouldn't know it was me!" Claire exclaimed.

"Really?" Lilith said. "Because I think this—" She reached around and ran a finger over the back of her neck. She winced as she plucked something out but then she held it in front of her for Claire to see, "—should tell them plenty."

Claire's eyes widened. "No," she whispered.

"Looks like one of His loyal slaves has been tracking me," Lilith said, turning her hand over before crushing the small microphone beneath her boot.

"No!" Claire yelled before lunging for Lilith and catching her by the throat. "If I can kill you, then I don't care what happens to me!"

Lilith's eyes widened as she struggled against Claire's iron grip around her neck. She tried to lash out with her feet but Claire didn't seem to register the kicks.

Just as Lilith started to see spots, Claire suddenly disappeared. Lilith rolled over to her hands and knees and began coughing. A hand touched her shoulder and she turned her head to see Aqualad.

"Are you hurt?" he asked worriedly.

Lilith couldn't help but raise an eyebrow. "You had to ask that?" she rasped. Aqualad gave an embarrassed smile and Lilith nudged him with her shoulder and gave him a smile. "I'll survive," she said.

"I got her!" Lilith heard Robin exclaim behind her. She glanced over her should and turned to sit beside Aqualad. Robin stood over an unconscious Claire and Zatanna approached.

" _Tekcajtiarts!_ " Zatanna proclaimed, and a white straightjacket appeared around Claire.

"Who is that?" Rocket asked as the Team began to gather around.

"My brother's girlfriend," Lilith scowled.

Rocket's eyes widened. "Do you normally go around knocking out your brother's girlfriends?" she asked.

"She wasn't who she claimed to be," Lilith explained. "She's someone from my past, though the last time I saw her in that setting, she was twelve." She sighed and leaned her head against Aqualad's shoulder.

"It _is_ always like this!" Rocket exclaimed and Lilith gave a small chuckle.

"Told ya," Zatanna said with a smile.

"Hey, disaster averted," Robin said, looking at Zatanna. "Feelin' the aster," he said with a smirk.

"Agreed," Aqualad said with a small smile of his own as he put his arm around Lilith's shoulder. "This has been a good day."

* * *

 **A/N: Hope you enjoyed.**

 **And holy crap, I just remembered: we're soooo close to the end! Only a chapter left, I think...**


	31. Auld Acquaintance

**A/N: I own nothing you recognize.**

 **Alright, so...this is it. The last chapter.**

 **I want to also say that I have put the sequel on hold because there are things I want to add to the sequel that would only make sense if I could restart Demons. As a result, I will be posting the rewrite of Demons as soon as a few days from now. I am so sorry for everyone who was looking forward to the sequel, but there are going to be so many new scenes in the rewrite!**

 **Okay, I'm done with my spiel...enjoy!**

* * *

 **Mount Justice  
December 31, 0716 EST**

"We have reason to feel proud of yesterday's victories," Aqualad said to the Team as they made their way to the mission room. "But one thing has not changed."

"Somehow, the bad guys are still getting inside intel about us," Robin sighed at the front of the group.

"Yeah, but as least we know none of us are the mole," Kid Flash said brightly.

"That's correct," Lilith heard Batman say as they entered the room. Lilith inhaled sharply and stopped in her tracks for a beat before continuing forward with the rest of the Team; something felt off. "The mole was Red Arrow," Batman said as he pulled up an image of him.

Around her, Lilith could feel the others take in a breath of surprise.

"Roy?" Robin asked faintly in disbelief.

"No way!" Kid Flash exclaimed with a glare.

"Batman, that cannot be," Aqualad tried to reason. "He was Green Arrow's protégé. We have all known him for years."

Red Tornado spoke up. "Unfortunately, the Roy Harper we have known for the last three years is another Project Cadmus clone," he said. An image of the Cadmus building before it was destroyed back in early July appeared.

"We've learned the real Speedy was abducted and replaced immediately after becoming Green Arrow's sidekick," Batman said, and he pulled up an image of Speedy. "The clone was pre-programmed with a drive to join the Justice League."

"Which is why he was so angry over any delays to his admission," Lilith slowly pieced together. "And why he refused to join the Team; he saw it as a road block."

Batman nodded and continued. "The Roy Harper had no idea he was a clone or a traitor. And his subconscious programming drove him to become 'League worthy.' So he struck out on his own as Red Arrow. When he was finally admitted, his secondary programming kicked in, and he attempted to betray the League to Vandal Savage." Lilith sucked in a sharp breath. "Fortunately, I had already deduced Red Arrow was a clone." Lilith lowered her narrow-eyed gaze to her boots. "We were prepared," he concluded.

"Savage was subdued, but Red Arrow escaped," Red Tornado said. "He is now a fugitive, armed and dangerous." Lilith pursed her lips and focused on the floor. This all sounded so _wrong_.

"If you guys hadn't rescued me from Cadmus…" Superboy said faintly, and Lilith glanced up to see him staring at the ground and rubbing his neck.

"Wh-what happened to the real Roy?" Robin asked quietly.

"We don't know," Batman admitted. "He isn't at Cadmus. We have to face the possibility that the real Roy Harper is dead."

Robin, Aqualad, and Kid Flash looked defeated at the thought. Lilith reached out and placed a hand on Aqualad's arm. He gave her a sad smile and she bowed her head again.

"The clone Roy," Aqualad spoke up, the only one who seemed to have found his voice, "the Team will find him."

"Negative," Batman said. "Red Arrow's a member of the Justice League now. Leave him to us." Batman raised his hand to his ear and pressed the comm. "I'm needed at the Watchtower," he informed them.

"No!" Lilith couldn't help but exclaim. Batman gave her a hard look, and for the first time since meeting him, Lilith cowered at his glare. This glare was different than his usual glowers. This one burned with annoyance and loathing.

"Tornado," Batman said, turning to the android. "Stay with the kids." Lilith's eyes widened and her head snapped up. Batman had never referred to them with such a juvenile term. He walked to the zeta tubes and disappeared. Lilith noticed Zatanna closed her eyes in confusion and placed the tips of her fingers to her temples.

"What is it?" Lilith whispered, glancing worriedly at Red Tornado.

"I'm sensing something…" Zatanna said quietly.

Aqualad's thought passed through their minds, cutting off further explanations. _Clone or no clone, Red Arrow was one of us,_ he said. _We_ will _go after him,_ he added, his eyes narrowed in determination.

A flash of red caught Lilith's eyes, and she opened her mouth to warn Aqualad of Red Tornado's presence behind him. Before she could, though, Red Tornado shut down.

The sound of a machine powering off caused Aqualad to turn in surprise and take a step bak while the Team gathered closer.

 _Tornado!_ Miss Martian exclaimed.

 _What happened to him?_ Superboy asked.

 _He's totally powered down?_ Kid Flash questioned.

 _All functions offline,_ Robin confirmed, referring to his hologram.

 _Guys, I'm sensing a low-level mystic force at play,_ Zatanna said slowly, her eyes closed again and both hands at her temples. _I-I don't know if it caused his shutdown, but now that I think about it, I was getting the same buzz off Batman._

 _Batman_ , Robin gasped in realization. _He…called us 'kids.' He never does that._ He glanced at Lilith. _And you noticed something off about his glare?_ he asked.

Lilith nodded. _Sure, I've been on the receiving end of one of his glares before, but that was something completely different._

 _Look,_ Kid Flash thought, and he pulled everyone's attention to something in Red Tornado's hand. _One of those biotech chips we confiscated off Cheshire,_ he identified as he held it in front of him.

 _You mean they meant for us to take that?_ Lilith asked, thinking to the previous day's encounter. _I did think it was strange that Cheshire disappeared without taking the case with her._

 _Something is not right,_ Aqualad agreed. _Robin, Kid, Zatanna, Rocket, Lilith,_ he addressed. _See if you can get Tornado back online. The rest with me to find Ro—Red Arrow._ Everyone nodded at their assignments and Aqualad took off for the hanger, and Superboy, Miss Martian, and Artemis followed him. The rest stepped closer to Red Tornado and Robin.

 _The program's hardware, not software_ , Robin declared, consulting the holograph again. _But where do we start?_ he asked, sounding desperate.

Zatanna stepped forward, her eyes on the ceiling and Lilith followed Zatanna's gaze to find her staring at the hole in the ceiling where Red Tornado usually disappeared. "I have a thought…" Zatanna said slowly. She magicked the circular chamber open and then levitated herself up. When she reappeared, a robot was following behind her. "The night Miss Martian, Superboy, and I were stuck at the Cave with nothing to do, we broke into Tornado's chambers," she explained as the floor beneath them raised to form two platforms, one for Red Tornado and the other for the robot. "We found this robot, and Tornado told us that he had created him so he could walk among humans and interact with them."

"So we can download Red Tornado's consciousness into this robot," Lilith deduced.

"My thoughts exactly," Zatanna said with a nod.

Kid Flash plugged a cable into the side of Red Tornado's head before walking to the robot and doing the same.

"Download in progress," Robin said as a screen appeared at the head of the platforms to show the completion.

"So Tornado built this android to party," Rocket said slowly.

"Hm, not how he'd put it, but yeah, more or less," Zatanna shrugged.

"Recognized: Black Canary, 1-3."

Lilith stiffened and her eyes narrowed slightly as Black Canary approached them.

"Hey, guys," Black Canary said gently. "I wanted to check in," she said. "See how you're handling the…" She trailed off and her soft, mothering tone changed immediately. "What are you doing to Red?" she demanded loudly, glaring at them.

"It's not how it looks!" Kid Flash exclaimed.

"It _looks_ like you're downloading his consciousness into a new body," Black Canary said with narrowed eyes. Behind them, the screen read _DOWNLOAD COMPLETE._

"Okay, it's pretty much exactly how it looks," Kid Flash admitted weakly. "But–"

He was cut off when the android suddenly sat up and said, "Team, get out of the Cave, now!"

"Get down!" Lilith warned as Black Canary opened her mouth and let out a Canary Cry. Lilith ducked behind one of the platforms, but the others weren't so lucky. The robot's metal body began to peel away from its skeleton and his torso detached from his legs. The torso slammed into Kid Flash, and his legs collided with Zatanna and Rocket, knocking all of them off their feet.

Robin was the first react. He leapt from behind the platform and fipped over it, going into a handspring and jumping to throw a punch at Black Canary. She easily caught his fist and threw Robin over her shoulder.

After a moment of thought, Lilith decided on an ol' reliable. While Black Canary's back was exposed, Lilith leapt out and latched onto her back. She wrapped her arm around Black Canary's neck and tangled her legs with the older woman's arms to trap them at her side.

"Robin, do something!" Lilith exclaimed. She was grateful he had the next step planned out because Black Canary was certainly putting up a struggle. Robin quickly jumped to his feet and ran forward to place two small pellets loaded with sleeping gas onto Black Canary's shoulders. Lilith quickly released her iron grip on Black Canary as the pellets burst, and Rocket raised her hands and quickly sealed Black Canary inside a shield with most of the gas. From inside, Lilith could heard Black Canary coughing before finally sliding against the wall of the bubble, unconscious.

"B-Black Canary a-attacked us?" Zatanna asked, sounding shocked and hurt.

"She's not in her right mind," Lilith said, her tone hard.

"Black Canary is the least of our problems," the robot informed, raising himself on his arms. "We must abandon the Cave.

Lilith's mind immediately went into direction mode. "Then we need to get to the hanger," she said. "Kid Flash and Robin, take…" She trailed off and looked at the robot.

"John," he said. "John Smith."

Lilith nodded and started again. "Robin and Kid, take John. Rocket and Zatanna, tie up Black Canary. We can't leave her here by herself." The four nodded and set to work.

When they reached the hanger, Sphere revved and unfolded into a vehicle to fit all of them. Everyone piled in: Wolf at the very front; Robin and Lilith at the controls; Kid Flash, John, and Rocket behind them; and Zatanna, Red Tornado, and Black Canary, who was bound and gagged, at the back. They took off just as the zeta-tube announced, "Recognized: Icon, 2-0; Doctor Fate, 1-7; Captain Marvel, 1-5."

"Stay off your radios," John instructed once they were up in the air, propping his torso up using the handlebar in front of him. "Let the Super Cycle track Superboy. Instruct her to mask all signals. We cannot allow the League to track us."

"Right, of course," Kid Flash said reasonably beside him. "Just one question," he said. "Why is the Justice League after us?!" he yelled.

"The entire League is under the complete mental domination of Vandal Savage," John began. "Red Arrow seemed to have been his means."

"So Batman was telling the truth about that," Kid Flash said in defeat.

"Yes," John nodded. "Savage's method was something he referred to as Starotech: an alien bio-organism fused wit nano-technology and magic. It shuts down the mind's autonomy, allowing Savage to reprogram the individual to suit his needs," he explained. "Even my inorganic brain was not immune. But the process requires one-point-one-six nanoseconds to fully integrate with its host's nervous system. That delay allowed me to create an internal sub-program, which would disconnect my power cells if I attempted to infect another person." John looked back at Red Tornado. "Fortunately, the Starotech is body specific," he said. "As John Smith, I am now free of outside control."

"Which is why Black Canary freaked out when she saw us downloading your consciousness," Lilith hypothesized. John nodded in agreement.

"This Starotech," Robin said savagely, glancing behind him. "It worked on superpowered humans, four flavors of alien, an android, even Doctor Fate, defeating all of you without a fight?" he asked, his voice getting louder with each word.

"Indeed," John said. "A remarkable achievement. One not easily countered."

Suddenly, the Bioship appeared above them, and a hole opened in the bottom to let them in.

 _Great,_ came Robin's voice once Sphere had settled in the Bioship. _'Cause we_ really _need to compare notes._

By chance, Lilith glanced behind her. She suddenly launched herself over the middle seat, toward Black Canary.

"Sorry!" Lilith exclaimed sheepishly with a wince as she pulled back her fist and knocked Black Canary out cold again. Black Canary went limp again and Lilith glanced around. "We should keep an eye on her until we can program something that works against the Starotech."

"Agreed," Aqualad said, standing to meet them. "Now, about these stories…"

Red Arrow explained to the second team: how he was a sleeper agent for Cadmus; how "Broken Arrow" was the trigger word that shut him down, allowing any member of Cadmus's allies to collect information or further program him; how he'd carried out those orders subconsciously; how he had planted a Starotech on each League member; how he was free from the control because he escaped before Savage could place a Starotech on him as well; how after he had completed his last task, his mind had begun to clear.

Once he was done, he sighed and glanced at Lilith. "You suspected me, didn't you?"

Everyone turned to Lilith. She pursed her lips but nodded.

"Why didn't you tell any of us?" Kid Flash demanded angrily.

"Would you have believed me?" Lilith countered evenly, raising a challenging eyebrow. "I told Batman, and he agreed with me."

"So what do we do about Starotech?" Robin asked.

"Reverse engineer," Kid Flash said immediately. "I could possibly do it, but it would take me weeks, maybe months, especially since magic is involved."

"We don't have that kind of time," Artemis said.

"But we might know some people who can help," Miss Martian said.

Aqualad nodded. "I am certain Queen Mera and Vulko would be more than willing to help us," he said.

"We should also contact Serling Roquette," Red Arrow said. "She _is_ a nanorobotics expert.

"And Doctor Spence," Superboy spoke up. "From Cadmus. She might be able to help us with the biology aspect of Starotech."

"We will make the calls," Aqualad said, and he, Red Arrow, and Superboy each went to a corner to get the contact.

Several minutes later, everything was set. Queen Mera, Aquaman's wife and queen of Atlantis, and Vulko, their head scientist, had agreed to meet with Doctors Roquette and Spence at the STAR Lab in New York.

Just over an hour later, the Bioship was setting down in front of the STAR Lab, where their four contacts were patiently waiting.

"My Queen," Aqualad said, saluting the queen.

"Kaldur'ahm," Queen Mera said warmly.

"I trust you are feeling well?" Aqualad asked, glancing at Queen Mera's slightly rounded stomach.

"Yes," Queen Mera said with a bright smile. "We are due sometime in May."

"Congratulations again," Aqualad smiled.

"Thank you, Kaldur," she said.

The large group headed inside, Robin, Lilith, and Kid Flash watching Black Canary.

For hours, the Team waited around with no word from or of the Justice League. All of them were gathered in one of the larger labs at STAR, and while Queen Mera, Vulko, Roquette, and Spence worked hard on the cure, Lilith sat at a counter and nervously drummed her fingers on the smooth black surface.

Lilith jumped slightly when someone placed a hand on her shoulder. She turned to find Robin with a solemn expression on his face.

"We'll get him back," he said softly, and Lilith knew they were thinking about the same person. For Robin, Bruce had been like a father-figure, and for Lilith, he had been her first father.

Lilith gave him a small smile. "Thanks, Bird Brain," she said. Robin rolled his eyes but smiled back and they sat together in a comfortable silence.

Lilith hadn't realized she had dozed off until Aqualad gently jostled her shoulder.

"It is done," he said. Lilith stretched and hurried to where Black Canary lay, just stirring. Everyone was instantly to arms and Doctor Spence quickly placed the cure on the back of Black Canary's neck. The hero slumped to the floor again, unconscious.

"How do we know if it worked?" Miss Martian asked nervously.

"There's nothing to do but wait," John said.

For about half an hour, Lilith drummed her fingers to stubs. When a stool suddenly scrapped against the linoleum tiles, Lilith sprung to her feet so quickly her own stool clattered to the floor.

Black Canary was looking around wild-eyed and tugging at her bonds. Kid Flash rushed forward and cut the ties.

"What is going on?" Black Canary demanded. "And who's the robot?"

"I am Red Tornado," John said. "I had to transfer bodies to free myself of Starotech. Call me John."

Black Canary nodded slowly, looking like she was trying to remember what had happened. "I don't remember anything..." she said quietly.

"There is much to tell," John said, and he started from the beginning.

When he had finished, Black Canary was silent for a moment before yelling, "That son of a bitch!"

Aqualad said, "We were planning on how we could take back the Watchtower and the other League members while we waited for you to wake up."

"Have you gotten anywhere?" Black Canary asked, getting to her feet and wincing. Aqualad nodded as Black Canary gingerly touched her temple and said, "How did I get this?"

Lilith gave her a sheepish smile and said, "After you woke up from the sleeping gas, I had to knock you out again because I was worried you'd regain focus and attack us."

Black Canary nodded in understanding. "I would have expected nothing less," she said with a small reassuring smile.

"We should go over this plan once more," John advised, and once everyone was filled in, they set off for the belly of the beast.

* * *

 **The Watchtower  
December 31, 2320 EST**

 _R.T. did it,_ Robin confirmed as Miss Martian joined the rest of the Team, who huddled around Robin. _Wirelessly bypassed security for us as soon as he arrived. Savage shouldn't know we're here._

 _Move out,_ Aqualad directed firmly, his eyes hard. Everyone broke into pairs: Artemis and Kid Flash, Robin and Superboy, Zatanna and Miss Martian, Rocket and Aqualad.

Before Aqualad left with Rocket, he glanced at Lilith and caught her eye. She spared him a small smile before turning and heading in the opposite direction.

On the way to the Watchtower, Lilith had pulled Aqualad aside and explained briefly that she believed her former "employers" were sponsors of Savage and his gang, and how she felt she should deal with that head on instead of skirting around the issue since the man who ran her organization had sent agents to talk to her on several missions. He had been hesitant at first, but she had finally persuaded him she would be okay.

Now, Lilith headed to the entrance room of the Watchtower, and figured Savage would be there.

He figuring skills proved right; as she approached the room, Klarion's voice carried to her and she ducked into a crevice.

"The brats are aboard," Klarion said. "They've taken away four of my toys!" he whined.

"Recall all Leauge away missions," Savage sommanded, and Lilith's eyes narrowed. Where were the other Leaguers? "It's time to put these children in their place once and for all."

"Finally," Klarion cheered. Teekl, who was draped across his shoulders, meowed. "Oh, yeah," Klarion said, reaching up to scratch the demon cat's head. "Hey, Vandal," he called. "Shouldn't those three be back online by now?"

"What?" Savage said sharply, turning to Black Canary, Red Tornado, and Red Arrow.

Black Canary opened her mouth and let lose a Canary Cry, which blew Hal Jordan, the League's second Green Lantern, into the wall. Red Tornado conjured a twister and sent it at Savage, while Red Arrow took the opportunity to vaccinate Hal, who was on his hands and knees, the breath knocked out of him from his encounter with the wall.

Black Canary sent another Cry at Klarion, who simply conjured a pair of ear muffs. "You'll be sorry," he said with a twisted grin.

Lilith pulled out her gun and aimed it at Teekl, but the sound of a boom-tube opening threw off her aim, causing her to misfire. It embedded itself harmlessly in the wall, but Lilith wasn't paying attention anymore: six of the original seven League members had just appeared. And Lilith deduced they would only need a boom-tube to return to the Toewr if they hadn't been on Earth to begin with.

Black Canary Cried again, but Manhunter phased through her, cutting off her voice. When Black Canary looked up again, Hawkwoman was swinging her mace.

Red Arrow shot a flame-tipped arrow at Manhunter, who density-shifted. But as the fire passed through him, he groaned and fell to his knees. Red Arrow sent an explosive arrow at Batman, who deflected it with his black cuffs, and he ran at Red Arrow. Batman slammed his palm into Red Arrow's face, kneed him in the stomach, and then brought down Red Arrow's head so Batman could bring his knee up to his chin.

John Stewart caught Red Tornado in a green claw manifested by his power ring, and Superman and Wonder Woman rushed forward and ripped off his arms and legs. John let Red Tornado fall to the floor, and he landed beside Black Canary and Red Arrow, both of them unconscious.

Savage glared down at the three. "The children have clearly reverse engineered a Starotech cure and vaccine," he growled. "So there's no point in taking them alive."

A new voice spoke up and Lilith stiffened. "Vandal, let's start with that one." A girl about Lilith's age stepped out from behind Savage with a wide smirk on her face.

"Goodie," Klarion crooned, his long black nails stroking his chin as he watched Lilith slowly approach them with her gun drawn.

"No, Witchboy," the girl snapped. "She's mine." She sighed. "Well, _His_. But same thing!"

"Phooey!" Klarion huffed, but he went ahead and told the Leaguers to leave Lilith alone.

 _Savage just brought in the big guns,_ Lilith informed. _They're heading your way._

 _Acknowledged,_ Aqualad responded. _Where are you now?_

 _I'm alive,_ Lilith said vaguely. _I'll check back._

"So, Agent." Lilith turned back to the girl. "Last chance to say yes."

"Sorry, _Agent_ ," Lilith said stiffly. "I'm set."

The girl laughed lightly. "No biggie," she said with a shrug. She turned to Savage and said, "We should get going."

Immediately, the agent jumped into action. Lilith was able to block the girl's first punch but she was so caught off guard the agent was able to catch Lilith in the temple. Lilith stumbled back and dodged the next hit.

As the pair continued the fight, Lilith noticed the Leaguers leave the room and the part of her that wasn't fighting for her life worried about what that meant.

Lilith's additional training with Batman and Black Canary finally paid off with this agent. Lilith brought up an arm to block the girl's wide swing. Quickly, Lilith grabbed her arm and turned so her back was to the Striker. Lilith hunched her back and was able to flip the agent over her shoulder. The girl landed with a thud on her back.

"What?" the agent exclaimed. "How the hell did that happen?!"

"Better training," Lilith smirked.

"No!" the girl shrieked. "There's no better training than the Academy!" She jumped to her feet and glared at Lilith.

Savage interrupted them. "Time to go," he said. Lilith turned as a holograph shut down. She caught a glimpse of Wonder Woman in Rocket's force bubble and Miss Martian floating down to join her.

"Come on, we can take 'em!" Klarion argued as his mind control panels disappeared.

"Yes," Savage agreed. "But in the process, you'd lose control, perhaps even destroy this station. And whether or not they're in our thrall, the Light still needs the Justice League alive for phase two."

"I wouldn't _lose control_ ," Klarion whined as he floated down to join Savage, sounding like a child who was told he couldn't go off on his own. Teekl meowed and Klarion sighed. "Okay, yeah, I bring chaos," he admitted. "What do we do about the girl?" he added, glancing behind Savage to look at Lilith and the agent.

Savage sighed. "I suppose he wouldn't be very happy if we let one of his agents fall in enemy hands," he said. The Striker hurried toward the duo as Klarion opened a red and black void behind him. It passed over the three and as it vanished, Lilith saw Kid Flash raced up with Aqualad, Artemis, and Zatanna behind him.

"Are you alright?" Aqualad asked as he reached Lilith.

"Yeah," Lilith nodded. "I didn't have to fight the League." She gave a weak chuckle and Aqualad's lips twitched upward.

"Congratulations, Team," Lilith heard Red Tornado behind her. "You have won the day."

As the remaining four members of the Team arrived, a panel bearing the date and time–January first, 0000 hours EST–appeared before them. "Happy New Year, Justice League," the computer announced.

Lilith glanced up at Aqualad and blushed when he leaned closer. "Happy New Year," he said softly before pressing his lips lightly to hers.

"Happy New Year," she whispered back once he had pulled back. She wrapped her arms around his waist and rested her head on his chest.

Lilith glanced around to see Zatanna and Robin still lip-locked and Artemis still in Kid Flash's arms bridal-style. Rocket looked around, looking slightly awkward. Aqualad and Lilith exchanged looks and Lilith stepped back from Aqualad to allow him to approach Rocket and kiss her cheek. Rocket's cheeks flushed and she glanced at Lilith, who was chuckling good-naturedly and smiling. Aqualad walked back to Lilith and put an arm around her shoulder.

Once everyone had wandered off, Lilith stood next to Aqualad, her head rested against his shoulder as she stared out at Earth. After a moment, Lilith glanced up at Aqualad.

"If I'm going to start trusting people," she said softly, "I should start with you." She reached up to take off her mask when Aqualad stopped her by lightly touching her wrist.

"You don't have to," Aqualad insisted gently.

"I know," Lilith said with a small smile. "I want to." She closed her eyes and peeled off the domino mask. She slowly opened her eyes and Aqualad's pale green eyes met deep, dark brown. Lilith glanced to the side and Aqualad gasped when he saw her irises flash a cat-like yellow-gree. "I know," she repeated with a laugh. "That happened after I got into the chemical accident that gave me my ability to communicate with animals."

"I think you have beautiful eyes either way," Aqualad said with a grin before bowing his head and kissing Lilith's forehead.

"And you should also know I live with Alan Scott's son, David, and his wife and son, Lisa and James," Lilith continued. "And I live in Gotham City, I go to Gotham City Academy, and when I first got taken in by Batman, we agreed on the alias Naomi Sanders."

That got Aqualad's attention. "You said alias..." he trailed off.

Lilith bit her lip and glanced down. "I was raised in a cruel place from birth. I don't know what happened to my parents, or even if they named me before I was taken. Either way, we were never called by a name. It humanized us, I guess. Anyway, each of us was given a number. I was called Agent 94-23; ninety-four for the year I was born, and twenty-three because I was the twenty-third girl to be taken in the year I was, well, taken in."

Aqualad stared at her for a moment before pulling her close and resting his chin on the top of her head. "I am sorry," he whispered into her hair.

"Thanks," Lilith said quietly, resting her forehead against Aqualad's chest. "At least I have you, and the Team, and my adopted family," she said positively.

Aqualad tightened his arms around her. "Yes," he agreed with a smile.

For a long time, Naomi and Kaldur stood in front of the large windows, watching the world below them and for the moment, allowed themselves to be happy in their little bubble.

* * *

 **A/N: Alright...I'll see you soon, with an all-new Naomi Sanders!**

 **Thank you so much for all the comments, follows, and favorites. It means so much to me, and I hope I can get that kind of love on the rewrite!**

 **Hope you stay tuned!**


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